One in four Brazilians lives in the perfect scenario for heart disease
Every two minutes a Brazilian dies from heart disease. Heart problems are already responsible for more than 300,000 deaths a year in the country, accounting for 30% of the total. The data also shows that heart disease is affecting more and more young people, with cases among people aged between 20 and 40 doubling.
According to Dr. Celso Amodeo, a specialist at the Dante Pazzanese Institute of Cardiology, heart disease already kills twice as many people as cancer. Álvaro Avezum, director of research at the Menarini International Foundation in Italy, points out that the problem is global. "One third of deaths in the world are related to heart disease," he says.
High blood pressure, excess abdominal fat, high bad cholesterol (LDL) and smoking are recognized by the global medical community as the main culprits behind the worrying increase in cardiovascular diseases in all parts of the world.
"These problems of modern life are combated with basic measures that are accessible to everyone, but often not taken seriously, such as healthy eating, sports and weight control," explains Dr. Alberto Zanchetti, from Italy, one of the world's leading specialists in hypertension, who also took part in the Symposium in São Paulo, organized by the Brazilian Society of Cardiology, the Paulista Society of Cardiology and St. George Hospital in London.
According to data from Vigitel, a Ministry of Health program, hypertension has increased by 14.2% in the last decade and now affects 25.7% of the Brazilian population. There are also 18.9% obese people in the country - around 42 million people. According to the official survey, obesity in Brazil doubles in people aged 25 and over, explains Dr. José Francisco Kerr Saraiva, from Unicamp.
There are initiatives in Brazil and in various parts of the world to encourage improved quality of life and thus contribute to reducing the dramatic increase in heart disease. A World Heart Federation program, for example, aims to reduce heart problems by 25% by 2025, based on a 25% reduction in hypertension levels, a 30% drop in smoking, 10% less alcohol and 30% less salt. "Education is the key to achieving these goals," insists Dr. Álvaro Vezum.
The challenges, however, are great, analyzes Dr. Weimar Sebba Barroso, from the Federal University of Goiás, also a speaker at the International Symposium "Modern Management of Cardiovascular Disease". Barroso cites the expected ageing of the population to reinforce the importance of taking good care of the heart from childhood. "By 2030, around 20% of the Brazilian population will be over 65. That's potentially 27 million more hypertensive patients and 4 million more possible heart attacks. The older we get, the more at risk we are of heart disease due to vascular ageing," says the specialist from Goiás.
In this scenario, combating high bad cholesterol (LDL) is key to controlling heart disease. "It needs to be treated seriously," stresses Dr. Marcelo Bertolammi, from the Dante Pazzanese Institute of Cardiology. Among the weapons available in medicine, statins have been used effectively to control heart disease. Pitavastatin, in fact, is the latest statin to hit the Brazilian market. Safe, it reduces LDL levels by up to 45%, has no negative effects on patients with diabetes and is effective in patients with low HDL.
DIABETES
Diabetes also received special attention in the discussions of the more than 300 Brazilian and South American cardiologists taking part in the symposium. Dr. José Francisco Kerr Saraiva highlights the importance of the disease and, most worryingly, its rapid growth.
According to the Unicamp specialist, diabetes already causes 250,000 deaths a year in South America. Furthermore, 52% of deaths from diabetes are associated with heart disease. "Diabetes increases the risk of death by up to four times for people with heart disease," adds Dr. J.C. Kaski, from St. George's Hospital in London.
The rampant increase in diabetes is confirmed by the Ministry of Health's Vigitel survey. In the last decade, the prevalence of the disease has risen by no less than 61.8%, doubling the percentage in people aged 45 and over - both men and women.