Public Health Policies for Prevention and Control of Cardiovascular Diseases

Abstract

Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are the leading cause of mortality worldwide and adversely impact population health and societal development. This chapter examines the decline of CVDs observed in many high-income countries (HICs); the rationale for implementing evidence-based public health policies; and how low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), where more than two-thirds of CVD deaths currently occur, can leverage lessons from HICs and implement evidence-based public health policies to improve a population’s heart health. The last half of the 20th century saw an acceleration of research into the causes of CVDs, and based on the scientific evidence generated, many evidence-based public health policies were implemented, especially for tobacco control and improving treatments. Consequently, a remarkable decline in CVD mortality was observed since the 1970s in many HICs. The key learnings were that population-wide risk factor modification through implementation of healthy public health policies could prevent a large proportion of disease events in the whole population. Thus, in alignment with the current Global Action Plan for initiating action on CVDs, national health policies and programs should prioritize a comprehensive approach comprising multisectoral whole-of-society action, population-based risk factor modification and evidence based cost-effective management of individuals with CVD.