Cardiovascular disease burden: Italian and global perspectives

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is still the leading cause of death worldwide, responsible for an estimated 17.8 million deaths globally in 2017, accounting for 31.8% of all deaths. In this review, we aim to provide an updated overview of CVD burden from an Italian and a global perspective.

Crude and age-standardized incidence and prevalence, as well as age-standardized mortality rate and morbidity rate (expressed as disability-adjusted life years - DALYs), of different cardiovascular conditions, derived from the Global Burden of Disease Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) 2017, were reported and compared between Italy and the world.

Crude prevalence of CVD in Italy is nearly twofold higher than global prevalence (12.9% vs. 6.6%), while age-standardized estimates are similar (6.2% vs. 6.3%). Mortality and morbidity from CVD are reduced in Italy, as compared to worldwide estimates (age-standardized mortality rate 113/100,000 vs. 233/100,000; age-standardized rate of DALYs lost 1764/100,000 vs. 4598/100,000). Of the evaluated cardiovascular conditions, the most important CVD burden is due to ischemic heart disease, which show a crude prevalence of 3.6% in Italy (age-standardized: 1.7%), doubling the corresponding crude global estimate (1.7%; age-standardized: 1.6%).

This latest update on the epidemiology of CVD within Italy and the world summarizes the burden of major cardiovascular conditions. CVD, especially ischemic heart disease, is still an important cause of mortality and morbidity. The impact of increasing life-expectancy is a key determinant of CVD epidemiology in Italy, if compared to worldwide data, since older age is one of the major risk factors for CVD.