CHD

Question 1

Global Prevalence and Distribution

Answer 1

Cardio Vascular diseases caused 18 million deaths in 2019, accounting for 32% global deaths

Over 3/4 deaths occur in low and middle income countries

Prevalence of CHD varies regionally
- South Asia 6,000 per 100,000
- Central Asia 11,000 per 100,000

Question 2

Why does the distribution of CHD and CVD vary

Answer 2

due to influence of lifestyle, socio-economic factors and healthcare

Question 3

How much have global cases of CVD increased

Answer 3

1990 to 2021, global cases of CVD increased from 35mil to 67mil

Question 4

Physical Factors

Answer 4

Air Quality - Long term exposure to fine particulate matter (pm 2.5) and air pollution increases CHD
Pollutant contribute to atherosclerosis increasing heart attack risk

Climate - Cold weather leads to vasoconstriction which raises blood pressure and increases hearts workload

Relief and Topography - Areas like valleys with poor circulation lead to accumulation of pollutants

Question 5

Links to socio-economic environment

Answer 5

People in LIC are at higher risk for CHD due to limited healthcare, low literacy rate and have higher risk factors such as smoking, poor diet and low exercise

In industrial regions, blue collar workers have high CHD rates

Ethnicity - Certain ethnic groups have higher risk e.g. South Asians due to genetics and lifestyle practices more likely to develop early CHD

Question 6

Lifestyle factors

Answer 6

Tobacco - smoking is leading cause of atherosclerosis, increasing heart attack risk and reducing o2 in blood

Alcohol - drinking can lead to hypertension, cardiomyopia and other heart issues

Diet and exercise - poor diet with lots of saturated fats and sugar

Question 7

Management and Mitigation strategies

Answer 7

NHS health check - Free health screening for 40-74 to assess risk factors for cardiovascular diseases by measuring blood pressure, cholesterol levels and overall health
Reached 15 million since 2009

“Go Red For Women”
Raises public awareness for heart diseases being number one killer in women. Wear red on national wear red day

British Heart Foundation “Heart Age Campaign”
Digital campaign encourages people to calculate heart age compared to real age
Reached millions worldwide

Question 8

Policies and Legislation

Answer 8

Sugar Tax Mexico
introduced tax on sugary drinks 2014
In first 2 years, sugary drinks decreased by 12% and reduction in obesity rates

Smoke Free Lenislation
Plain packaging, public smoking bans and tobacco advertising restrictions aired to reduce smoking
Successfully decreased smoking rates from 29% 1991 to 11% in 2020