WHO warns of growing heart and stroke disease threat

Heart diseases and strokes kill 17 million people every year, more than any other cause, and are increasingly likely to afflict people in poor countries, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has said.

Heart diseases and strokes now accounts for nearly a third of the 57 million deaths worldwide every year, outstripping violence, cancer, respiratory diseases and HIV/AIDS.

According to the WHO's 'Atlas of Heart Disease and Stroke' study, released to coincide with World Heart Day this Sunday, heart disease and stroke are becoming more deadly, with a projected combined death toll of 24 million by 2030.

WHO officials said the world must do more to tackle diseases that are "both preventable and capable" of striking a much wider demographic than popularly understood.

WHO's Director of Chronic Diseases and Health Promotion, Dr Robert Beaglehole said that the old stereotype of cardiovascular diseases affecting only stressed, overweight, middle-aged men in developed countries "no longer applies".

He added: "Today, men, women and children are at risk and 80% of the burden is in low- and middle-income countries," he said.

While some inhabitants of these nations are acquiring the lifestyle habits of their counterparts in industrialized States, such as little exercise and fatty diets, they do not have access to comparable medical treatment.

For these countries, the high death rates are also a major national economic burden, soaking up health-care costs and depriving families of income-earners.

(gmcg/mb)