Year: 2002
Type: other
Abstract: I schaemic cardiac disease and stroke result in more deathsworldwide than any other disease. It is estimated that at least 15 million deaths annually are attributed to those dis-eases, that is 30 % of all deaths occurring globally. This is in spite of the fact that, in most industrialized countries, mortal-ity from both diseases steadily declined during the 1970s and 1980s [1, 2]. As for stroke, this decrease was not paralleled by a similar decrease in incidence and some studies, including the WHO MONICA Study, show that incidence rates are not levelling off [3, 4]. Regional studies even indicate a small but steady increase in stroke rates in developed industrialized na-tions [5]. In addition, a new and disturbing trend is read from the epidemic proportions stroke and cardiac diseases are reaching in lesser developed countries as has been shown by the Glo-bal Burden of Disease Study [2]. According to these data it has been estimated that by 2020 both ischaemic cardiac dis-eases and stroke will become the leading cause of death in the developing world unless effective measures of prevention will be developed and implemented.
Author: Michael Brainin
Language: English
Subfield: Cardiology and Cardiovascular Medicine
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W1566980155