title: The global burden of cardiovascular disease.
abstract: Cardiovascular disease (CVD) today is responsible for approximately one-third of deaths worldwide, and that figure will surely increase in both developing and developed countries as risk factors for the disease--primarily dyslipidemia, hypertension, obesity, diabetes, physical inactivity, poor diet, and smoking--continue to increase. Although these risk factors are modifiable, to date there is a relative paucity of measures to prevent or control them, particularly in developing countries. A population strategy combined with a high-risk strategy for CVD prevention could greatly reduce the burden of disease in the coming decades. Many initiatives are working, but many more are needed. This chapter provides background on the global burden of CVD and provides the context for the subsequent chapters addressing nurses' roles in reversing the bleak predictions for the ravages of CVD if risk factors are left unchecked in the coming decades.
authors.affiliation: School of Nursing, Midwifery and Social Work, University of Manchester and Central Manchester Foundation Trust, Manchester Academic Health Sciences Centre, Manchester, United Kingdom. mcdeaton@manchester.ac.uk
authors.forename: Christi
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Deaton
authors.forename: Erika Sivarajan
authors.initials: ES
authors.lastname: Froelicher
authors.forename: Lai Har
authors.initials: LH
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Camille
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ho
authors.forename: Kawkab
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Shishani
authors.forename: Tiny
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Jaarsma
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000401:mortality / Q000517:prevention & control*; D003906:Developing Countries; D005260:Female; D014943:Global Health; D006293:Health Promotion; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand; D019456:Health Transition; D006801:Humans; D008019:Life Style; D008297:Male; D009765:Obesity / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D017678:Sex Distribution; D012907:Smoking / Q000453:epidemiology; D000074606:Smoking Prevention