Incidence of cardiovascular diseases

Cardiovascular diseases are currently the leading cause of death worldwide and in Italy.

Understanding how common they are and which factors contribute to their development is essential to adopting effective prevention measures and improving one’s health.

How common are they?

Cardiovascular diseases include a group of conditions such as myocardial infarction, stroke, heart failure, peripheral artery disease, and other disorders affecting the blood vessels.

In Italy, they affectabout one-third of the adult population, with an incidence that increases with age.

Ischemic heart disease and stroke together account forover 35% of total mortality.

Although historically more frequent in men, recent years have shown an increase in cases among women, especially after menopause.

Risk factors

Many risk factors are modifiable—and therefore preventable:

• High blood pressure

• High cholesterol

• Diabetes

• Smoking

• Physical inactivity

• Overweight and obesity

• Stress and poor sleep

There are also non-modifiable risk factors, such as age, family history, and biological sex.

Why is the incidence so high?

The main reasons include:

• Lifestyle changes leading to less physical activity and increased consumption of high-calorie foods

• Longer life expectancy, exposing more people to age-related diseases

• More accurate diagnostic tools, which identify more cases than in the past

  
  

How to reduce the risk

Daily habits play a decisive role:

• Follow a balanced diet rich in fruits, vegetables, legumes, and fish

• Maintain regular physical activity (at least 150 minutes per week)

• Monitor blood pressure, blood sugar, and cholesterol regularly

• Reduce or eliminate smoking

• Manage stress and sleep properly

  
  

When to consult a cardiologist

It is advisable to see a specialist if you experience symptoms such as chest pain, shortness of breath, palpitations, or dizziness, or if you have close relatives with early-onset heart disease. Even in the absence of symptoms, regular check-ups are useful to assess your cardiovascular risk.

In summary, cardiovascular diseases are very common but largely preventable. Information, awareness, and healthy lifestyle choices are the most effective tools to protect your heart.