title: The Burden of Cardiovascular Disease in Low- and Middle-Income Countries: Epidemiology and Management.
abstract: Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the second leading cause of mortality worldwide, accounting for 17 million deaths in 2013. More than 80% of these cases were in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Although the risk factors for the development of CVD are similar throughout the world, the evolving change in lifestyle and health behaviours in LMICs-including tobacco use, decreased physical activity, and obesity-are contributing to the escalating presence of CVD and mortality. Although CVD mortality is falling in high-income settings because of more effective preventive and management programs, access to evidence-based interventions for combating CVD in resource-limited settings is variable. The existing pressures on both human and financial resources impact the efforts of controlling CVD. The implementation of emerging innovative interventions to improve medication adherence, introducing m-health programs, and decentralizing the management of chronic diseases are promising methods to reduce the burden of chronic disease management on such fragile health care systems.
authors: Department of Community and Family Medicine, St Michael's Hospital, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Electronic address: bowrya@smh.ca.
authors: Ashna D K
authors: AD
authors: Bowry
authors: Division of Pharmacoepidemiology and Pharmacoeconomics, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Department of Cardiology, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, New York, USA.
authors: Jennifer
authors: J
authors: Lewey
authors: Division of Pharmacoepidemiology and Pharmacoeconomics, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
authors: Sagar B
authors: SB
authors: Dugani
authors: Division of Pharmacoepidemiology and Pharmacoeconomics, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
authors: Niteesh K
authors: NK
authors: Choudhry
mesh_terms: D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000628:therapy*; D002908:Chronic Disease; D017281:Cost of Illness; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000453:epidemiology; D019468:Disease Management; D006297:Health Services Accessibility; D006801:Humans; D006949:Hyperlipidemias / Q000453:epidemiology; D006973:Hypertension / Q000453:epidemiology; D008019:Life Style; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology; D011203:Poverty; D012140:Respiratory Tract Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology; D012307:Risk Factors; D012907:Smoking / Q000453:epidemiology