In 2021, cardiovascular diseases affected 341.6 million people and caused 12.0 million deaths in the Asia-Pacific region, driven largely by hypertension, dietary risks, and air pollution.
The Asia-Pacific region bears a massive and growing burden of cardiovascular disease, accounting for over 60% of global cardiovascular deaths, driven largely by hypertension, dietary risks, and air pollution.
Abstract Background Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are the leading cause of mortality and morbidity in the Asia-Pacific region, with current projections suggesting that this burden is likely to double by 2050. As one of the most socially economically and politically diverse regions in the world, improving cardiovascular health in the region remains an uphill task with stark disparities between individual countries. Understanding geographical variations in the CVD burden across the region will facilitate risk profiling and tatgeted interventions. Purpose This study aims to analyse the epidemiological trends of CVD burden across Asia by assessing age-standardised mortality, prevalence, and DALY rates, highlighting disparities across regions and risk factor contributions. Methods This review utilizes data from the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) 2021 database. Data extracted include CVD-related mortality, prevalence, DALYs (disability-adjusted life years) and risk factors, stratified by country and subnational regions across Asia. Results In 2021, CVDs affected 341.6 million (95% uncertainty interval UI: 301.9 to 329.1) people, accounting for 12.0 million (95%UI: 11.1 to 12.9) deaths across the Asia-Pacific region. This represents 55.8% of prevalent cardiovascular (CV) cases worldwide, and 61.8% of global CV deaths. The leading risk factors contributing to CV mortality in 2021 were hypertension (6.5 million 95%UI: 5.7 to 7.3), dietary risks (3.7 million 95%UI: 2.7 to 4.7), and air pollution (3.4 million 95%UI: 3.0 to 3.9). The study reveals substantial regional variations in CVD burden across Asia. Age-standardised mortality rates range from 100 per 100,000 in high-income countries such as Japan and Singapore to 500 per 100,000 in Central and South Asian nations, including Afghanistan and Turkmenistan. Age-standardised prevalence rates exceed 10,000 per 100,000 in the Middle East and parts of South Asia, driven by a high metabolic risk burden. Over the past three decades, mortality due to CVD has declined in high-income regions but remains stagnant or rising in lower-income countries. DALY rates due to CVD exceed 15,000 per 100,000 in high-burden regions, with high systolic blood pressure, high fasting plasma glucose, and high body mass index emerging as the dominant risk factors. Notably, between 1990 and 2021, mortality due to high systolic blood pressure increased by 50% in some South Asian countries, while high BMI-related DALYs surged by over 200% in parts of Southeast Asia. Conclusion While improvements in mortality rates have been achieved in some parts of Asia, a persistent and growing burden of CVD remains, particularly in lower-income regions. Targeted public health policies addressing metabolic risk factors, healthcare disparities, and regional variations in disease burden are urgently needed to mitigate the future impact of CVD in Asia.Figure 1 Figure 2
Chong et al. (Sat,) conducted a review in Cardiovascular diseases (n=341,600,000). Cardiovascular disease risk factors (hypertension, dietary risks, air pollution) was evaluated on CVD-related mortality, prevalence, and DALYs. In 2021, cardiovascular diseases affected 341.6 million people and caused 12.0 million deaths in the Asia-Pacific region, driven largely by hypertension, dietary risks, and air pollution.