Paolo A Cortesi1, Carla Fornari1, Fabiana Madotto2, Sara Conti1, Mohsen Naghavi3, Boris Bikbov4, Paul S Briant5, Valeria Caso6, Giacomo Crotti1, Catherine Johnson5, Minh Nguyen5, Luigi Palmieri7, Norberto Perico4, Francesco Profili8, Giuseppe Remuzzi9, Gregory A Roth10, Eugenio Traini11, Fabio Voller8, Simon Yadgir5, Giampiero Mazzaglia1, Lorenzo Monasta11, Simona Giampaoli7, Lorenzo G Mantovani1,2. 1. School of Medicine and Surgery, Research Centre on Public Health (CESP), University of Milano-Bicocca, Italy. 2. IRCCS Multimedica, Italy. 3. Department of Health Metrics Sciences, Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, University of Washington, USA. 4. Department of Renal Medicine, Mario Negri Institute for Pharmacological Research IRCCS, Italy. 5. Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, University of Washington, USA. 6. Stroke Unit, University of Perugia, Italy. 7. Department of Cardiovascular Endocrine-Metabolic Diseases and Aging, Istituto Superiore di Sanità (ISS), Italy. 8. Epidemiology Unit, Regional Health Agency of Tuscany, Italy. 9. Mario Negri Institute for Pharmacological Research, IRCSS, Italy. 10. Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, University of Washington, USA. 11. Clinical Epidemiology and Public Health Research Unit, Burlo Garofolo Institute for Maternal and Child Health, Italy.
Abstract
AIMS: An exhaustive and updated estimation of cardiovascular disease burden and vascular risk factors is still lacking in European countries. This study aims to fill this gap assessing the global Italian cardiovascular disease burden and its changes from 1990 to 2017 and comparing the Italian situation with European countries. METHODS: All accessible data sources from the 2017 Global Burden of Disease study were used to estimate the cardiovascular disease prevalence, mortality and disability-adjusted life years and cardiovascular disease attributable risk factors burden in Italy from 1990 to 2017. Furthermore, we compared the cardiovascular disease burden within the 28 European Union countries. RESULTS: Since 1990, we observed a significant decrease of cardiovascular disease burden, particularly in the age-standardised prevalence (-12.7%), mortality rate (-53.8%), and disability-adjusted life years rate (-55.5%). Similar improvements were observed in the majority of European countries. However, we found an increase in all-ages prevalence of cardiovascular diseases from 5.75 m to 7.49 m Italian residents. Cardiovascular diseases still remain the first cause of death (34.8% of total mortality). More than 80% of the cardiovascular disease burden could be attributed to known modifiable risk factors such as high systolic blood pressure, dietary risks, high low density lipoprotein cholesterol, and impaired kidney function. CONCLUSIONS: Our study shows a decline in cardiovascular mortality and disability-adjusted life years, which reflects the success in reducing disability, premature death and early incidence of cardiovascular diseases. However, the burden of cardiovascular diseases is still high. An approach that includes the cooperation and coordination of all stakeholders of the Italian National Health System is required to further reduce this burden. Published on behalf of the European Society of Cardiology. All rights reserved.
AIMS: An exhaustive and updated estimation of cardiovascular disease burden and vascular risk factors is still lacking in European countries. This study aims to fill this gap assessing the global Italian cardiovascular disease burden and its changes from 1990 to 2017 and comparing the Italian situation with European countries. METHODS: All accessible data sources from the 2017 Global Burden of Disease study were used to estimate the cardiovascular disease prevalence, mortality and disability-adjusted life years and cardiovascular disease attributable risk factors burden in Italy from 1990 to 2017. Furthermore, we compared the cardiovascular disease burden within the 28 European Union countries. RESULTS: Since 1990, we observed a significant decrease of cardiovascular disease burden, particularly in the age-standardised prevalence (-12.7%), mortality rate (-53.8%), and disability-adjusted life years rate (-55.5%). Similar improvements were observed in the majority of European countries. However, we found an increase in all-ages prevalence of cardiovascular diseases from 5.75 m to 7.49 m Italian residents. Cardiovascular diseases still remain the first cause of death (34.8% of total mortality). More than 80% of the cardiovascular disease burden could be attributed to known modifiable risk factors such as high systolic blood pressure, dietary risks, high low density lipoprotein cholesterol, and impaired kidney function. CONCLUSIONS: Our study shows a decline in cardiovascular mortality and disability-adjusted life years, which reflects the success in reducing disability, premature death and early incidence of cardiovascular diseases. However, the burden of cardiovascular diseases is still high. An approach that includes the cooperation and coordination of all stakeholders of the Italian National Health System is required to further reduce this burden. Published on behalf of the European Society of Cardiology. All rights reserved.