CVD — cardiovascular disease, the umbrella term for diseases of the heart and blood vessels. It includes coronary heart disease and heart attack, stroke, hypertension and other conditions.
Most of them are underpinned by atherosclerosis — the buildup of cholesterol plaques in the arteries. CVD is the No. 1 cause of death worldwide.
What counts as CVD
This is a large group of diseases: coronary heart disease (angina, myocardial infarction), cerebrovascular disease (stroke), arterial hypertension, atrial fibrillation, heart failure, peripheral artery disease, thrombosis and thromboembolism. What unites them is damage to the heart and blood vessels.
The scale of the problem
According to the WHO, in 2022 about 19.8 million people died from cardiovascular disease — roughly 32% of all deaths worldwide; of these, 85% were due to heart attack and stroke. More than three-quarters of these deaths occur in low- and middle-income countries. This makes CVD the leading cause of death on the planet.
Risk factors
Modifiable factors: high blood pressure, elevated LDL cholesterol, smoking, diabetes, obesity (especially visceral), physical inactivity, an unhealthy diet and excessive alcohol use. Non-modifiable ones are age, male sex and heredity. The more factors that combine, the higher the overall risk.
Prevention
The basics of prevention are proven: don't smoke, be physically active, eat according to the Mediterranean or DASH diet, maintain a healthy weight, and limit salt and alcohol. Doctors keep blood pressure, cholesterol and glucose under control, and prescribe statins and other drugs when risk is high. Many of these measures work at any age.
Calculate using this marker
Calculators where CVD is used directly:
Frequently asked questions
What does the abbreviation CVD stand for?
CVD stands for cardiovascular disease — that is, all diseases of the heart and blood vessels: coronary heart disease and heart attack, stroke, hypertension, arrhythmias, heart failure, peripheral artery disease and thromboses.
Can cardiovascular disease be prevented?
To a large extent, yes. The WHO estimates that most early CVD is linked to modifiable factors. Quitting smoking, staying active, eating healthily, and controlling blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar are proven to reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke.