Heart disease kills 17.3 million each year: Report

Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), including heart disease and stroke, cause 17.3 million deaths each year worldwide, and by 2030 it is expected that 23 million people will die from CVDs annually, a report released Sunday said.

Sunday is being observed as World Heart Day. Every year since 2000, Sep 29 has been observed by the World Heart Federation as World Heart Day to spread awareness about the rising instance of heart disease.

"Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), including heart disease and stroke, take lives prematurely. In fact, they cause 17.3 million deaths each year and the numbers are rising. By 2030, it is expected that 23 million people will die from CVDs annually," said Rishi Sethi, associate professor, Department of Cardiology, King George's Medical University, Lucknow.

The intervention cardiology data compiled by Rishi Sethi revealed that over 4,500 lifesaving angioplasty procedures and almost 2,000 lifesaving pacemaker implantations have been performed in 2011-12 in the state of Uttar Pradesh. The number of these procedures has increased by almost 30 percent over the last year, he said.

"Children are vulnerable too, the risk for CVDs can begin before birth, during foetal development, and increase further during childhood with exposure to unhealthy diet, lack of exercise and smoking," the doctor said.

The doctor also underlined how simple lifestyle changes like giving up tobacco could make a big difference to cardiovascular health.

"The tobacco industry interference in public health policy has been recognised as the biggest obstacle in enforcing tobacco control laws. Strengthening tobacco control is one of the evidence-based ways to reduce CVDs," said Ehsaan Latif, director, Tobacco Control, at the International Union against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease.

It is an international voluntary scientific organisation working in low- and middle-income countries to fight HIV/AIDS, TB, lung disease, tobacco-related morbidity and non-communicable diseases.