Victor · European journal of cardiovascular nursing 2026 · narrative review · n=?

The global burden of cardiovascular disease in adults.

Level 5 - mechanism / opinion, no new human data

Narrative review summarizing global cardiovascular disease burden and risk factors without primary data or systematic review methodology.

PubMed 41934320 · doi:10.1093/eurjcn/zvaf243 · record verified 2026-08-29

What was done

This narrative review synthesized literature on the global burden of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) and associated risk factors in adults across World Health Organization (WHO) regions. It also evaluated preventable and emerging CVD risk factors, population-level prevention approaches, risk calculators, and healthcare workforce requirements.

What was found

The abstract reports no quantitative values or statistical estimates. It reports qualitatively that CVDs (predominantly heart attack and stroke) are the leading cause of global adult mortality and disability-adjusted life years, driven by preventable risk factors (hypertension, dyslipidemia, diabetes, air pollution, obesity, smoking, physical inactivity, and poor diet) that vary markedly across demographic and geographical regions.

Why it matters

It consolidates regional cardiovascular disparities and risk factor profiles to inform clinical risk calculation and global public health prevention frameworks.

Limits

The abstract describes a broad narrative overview without systematic review search methods, quality assessment, study inclusion criteria, or reported quantitative data.

Cited by