Every year, we take this opportunity to bring attention to the world’s leading cause of death: cardiovascular disease. In Europe, millions of people die from cardiovascular disease every year, or live with complications. Genetic conditions, smoking, gender, geography and many other factors play a role when it comes to a person’s cardiovascular health, as well as whether or not they receive the treatment they need. 

Cardiovascular diseases are the most common cause of death globally. In the early 2000s roughly 17 million people worldwide died from cardiovascular diseases annually. The majority of these deaths were the result of coronary heart disease or stroke. Although cardiovascular diseases are often considered to be afflictions of people living in developed countries, where sedentary lifestyle is common, more than 80 percent of deaths from these diseases occur in low- and middle-income developing countries.

The primary causes of cardiovascular diseases—poor diet, lack of exercise, and smoking—are considered modifiable factors. Thus, even in developing countries, which often lack efficient health care programs, the majority of these diseases can be prevented. 

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