Nordic Life Science 1
LOCAL EFFORTS // CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASES Cardiova
scular diseases have a high mortality rate and although prevention is key, there are many companies, including Nordic ones, determined to develop better treatments. T E X T B Y E L L E N R . D E L I S I O AN D MA L I N O T MA N I A SKED TO NAME the leading cause of death worldwide, many people automatically would respond with cancer. New treatments and ongoing research often are in the news and most people know someone who has suffered from it. But while cancer certainly is responsible for many deaths globally, it is actually the world’s second leading cause of death, and the number one killer is cardiovascular diseases (CVD), responsible for 20.5 million deaths in 2021. About 75 percent of those deaths are in low- and middle-income nations, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), due in part to the lack of access to primary healthcare and screening for risk factors. CVDs include a range of ailments affecting blood vessels and the heart. Among the most common are coronary heart disease, congestive heart failure, and atherosclerosis, which progress over time and could lead to a stroke or heart attack. Lifestyle interventions The fact that people often don’t know that they have a CVD until it is too late likely accounts for the high mortality rate. Ironically, unlike many other potentially fatal diseases, CVDs are for the most part preventable. As many as 80 percent of cases could be prevented, according to the World Heart Federation. Eating a low-fat diet, exercising, avoiding tobacco, and not drinking alcohol excessively can significantly reduce the likelihood of getting a CVD. Global efforts to reduce the number of cases have focused on prevention, including education about what constitutes a hearthealthy diet, the importance of regular exercise and improving access to screening and healthcare. According to the WHO, within the European Union, about 10,000 people a day die from CVDs, with men dying at a higher rate than women. Large amounts of salt in people’s diets in many European countries contribute to a high rate of hypertension, or high blood pressure, a contributing factor for heart attacks and strokes. Widespread prevention efforts and improved treatments have resulted in a steady decline in deaths from CVDs in the Nordic countries, and the rate is lower here than in most European countries. In Finland, the North Karelia Project, which began 50 years ago, has had a revolutionary impact. When launched, coronary heart disease mortality among men was the highest in the world. The goal was to lower cholesterol and blood pressure through dietary changes, NORDICLIFESCIENCE.ORG | 51