Getting to the heart of non-communicable diseases

As we mourn the loss of our treasured author, reviewer, and International Advisory Board member Bongani Mayosi, whose contribution to the field of cardiology on the African continent was virtually unparalleled, we recall that cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are the leading cause of death and disability globally. If their sheer burden is remarkable—they cause one in three deaths worldwide—so is the fact that some of their main risk factors—smoking, an unhealthy diet, lack of physical activity, and excessive alcohol consumption—are largely avoidable.