Cardiovascular Diseases - Multidisciplinary Rehabilitation

Key Facts

Cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of death worldwide: more people die from cardiovascular diseases each year than from any other cause.

It is estimated that in 2016, 17.9 million people died from cardiovascular diseases, accounting for 31% of all global deaths. Among these deaths, 85% were due to heart attacks and strokes.

More than three-quarters of deaths from cardiovascular diseases occur in low- and middle-income countries. In 2015, 17 million people (under 70) died prematurely from non-communicable diseases, with 82% of these deaths occurring in low- and middle-income countries, and 37% due to cardiovascular diseases. Most cardiovascular diseases can be prevented by addressing behavioral risk factors such as smoking, unhealthy diets and obesity, lack of physical activity, and harmful alcohol use. Individuals with cardiovascular diseases or those at high risk (due to one or more risk factors such as hypertension, diabetes, hyperlipidemia, or diagnosed conditions) need early detection and may require management through counseling and medication.

What are Cardiovascular Diseases?

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a group of heart and blood vessel diseases, including:

• Coronary artery disease - disease of the vessels supplying the heart muscle;
• Cerebrovascular disease - disease of the vessels supplying the brain;
• Peripheral artery disease - disease of the vessels supplying the arms and legs;
• Rheumatic heart disease - damage to the heart muscle and heart valves caused by rheumatic fever from streptococcal infection;
• Congenital heart disease - structural heart defects present at birth;
• Deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism - blood clots in leg veins that can dislodge and travel to the heart and lungs.

Heart attacks and strokes are typically acute events primarily caused by blockages that obstruct blood flow to the heart or brain. The most common cause is the buildup of fatty deposits on the inner walls of the vessels supplying the heart or brain. Strokes can also result from bleeding in the brain or blood clots. The causes of heart attacks and strokes are usually a combination of several risk factors, such as smoking, unhealthy diets and obesity, lack of exercise and harmful drinking, hypertension, diabetes, and hyperlipidemia.

If you have any medical conditions, please follow your doctor's comprehensive medical plan; before considering a multidisciplinary rehabilitation program, you must consult your primary care physician. If your primary care physician does not recommend you to join a supplement regimen, please do not use it. Should you need to seek a second opinion from another doctor, you can contact us online <Borderless Doctor> or seek re-evaluation from other specialized doctors in your city.