Epidemiology of CV disease Flashcards
What are the first and second leading causes of death in females worldwide?
- 1st: stroke
- 2nd: ishaemic heart disease
What are the first and second leading causes of death in males worldwide?
- 1st: ischamic heart disease
- 2nd: stroke
Describe the worldwide distribution of age at death
Lower and middle income countries: more deaths in children (0-14 years) and adults (15-69 years) than in high income countries where the majority of deaths occur in those aged 70 and above.
Life expectancy increases with increasing economic affluence.
Which is the largest risk factor for death worldwide?
Hypertension
Is the highest risk factor for cardiovascular disease which is the leading cause of death worldwide.
What are the 4 highest risk factors for death worldwide?
- Hypertension
- Obesity
- High blood glucose
- High cholesterol
What are the 2 leading causes of disability in developed countries?
- Tobacco use
- Hypertension
What are the 2 leading causes of disability in developing countries?
- Alcohol consumption
- Hypertension
Describe the demographic transition
As countries go through the demographic transition, death rates decline along with birth rates.
Population growth slows
Describe the epidemiological transition of CVD
As levels of affluence, acculturation and urbanisation increase:
- increase in CV disease across the stages of demographic transition
HTN rises first due to society with low smoking, moderate fat and salt intake.
Atherosclerosis rises second due to a society with moderate smoking, fat and salt intake.
Describe primordial prevention of disease
Focuses on the causes of unequal distribution of health damaging exposures, susceptibilities and health protective resources.
Focuses on social organisation and prevents the appearance of the mediating risk factor in the population.
Addresses why socioeconomic position is related to health
Describe primary disease prevention
Give an example in the context of CVD
Reduction of incidence of disease by:
- Removing primary causative agent
- Interrupting transmission of an infective agent
- Protection from environmental hazards
- Improving host resistance
E.g. Reduction in population salt intake
Describe secondary disease prevention
- Early detection of pre-clinical case (screening)
- Treatment to prevent progression or recurrence
Describe tertiary disease prevention
Treatment of established disease to prevent complications and/or relieve distress.
E.g. palliative care
What is a population strategy in reducing disease?
It aims to reduce the risk factors of a particular disease across a whole population, in the knowledge that a small reduction in the risk factor will reduce the risk in everyone across the distribution of the risk factor.
By the implementation of this strategy the proportion of people in the upper end of the distribution (eg. Diseased) will also be reduced, hence reducing both the incidence and the prevalence of the condition.
What is a ‘high risk’ strategy in reducing disease?
Treating those with a defined disease status (e.g. diabetes, HTN) to prevent the development of CVD. It will have a small impact on the burden of CVD as these people are not many in the population.
This strategy does not reduce ‘incidence’ of the disease as it does not address the causes but deals with the consequences and manifestations
