September 5, 2019
Cancer has become the leading cause of death in rich countries according to two surveys published Tuesday, September 3 in the medical journal The Lancet and presented at the Congress of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) in Paris.
The number of cancers on the rise in rich countries
While cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death worldwide, cancer could become the most common cause of death in a few decades. The study, carried out in 21 countries, covers more than 160,000 adults who were followed between 2005 and 2016 in high, middle and low income countries.
Heart disease accounts for more than 40% of deaths worldwide, or about 17.7 million people in 2017. In the same year, 26% of all deaths were due to cancer. However, according to the study, in rich countries, cancer now kills 2.5 times more people than heart disease.
Reduce cardiovascular disease
In the second part of the study, the researchers found that 70% of cardiovascular disease cases were due to factors that could be changed. Thus, in rich countries, there is high cholesterol, obesity or diabetes. In poorer countries, indoor air pollution, diet and low levels of education are to blame.
Salim Yusuf, professor of medicine at McMaster University pointed out thata change of course was needed to reduce the impact of cardiovascular disease in low and middle income countries. For him, it is about investing more in the prevention and management of non-communicable diseases.
Stephanie Haerts
Read also : Special hypercholesterolemia diet
