- Its main risk factors are smoking, high blood pressure, high cholesterol levels and uncontrolled diabetes.
- Cardiovascular diseases cause 17.9 million deaths each year and by 2030 the number could be 23.6 million.
- In Mexico, a decrease in life expectancy of 7 years due to this type of pathology has been reported.
The Cardiovascular diseases are one of the biggest public health problems in Mexico. To date, it is the leading cause of death in the country and during the first half of 2022 alone it generated just over 105 thousand deaths. Therefore, there is one fatality every 2 minutes and 27 seconds.
For their part, during 2021 they caused nearly 220 thousand deaths, of which 177 thousand were due to acute myocardial infarction. It is a disorder that is preventable by controlling risk factors: such as smoking, high blood pressure, high cholesterol levels and uncontrolled diabetes.
“Heart conditions are genetically determined and have a very slow progression, so it is important to control cholesterol levels, blood pressure and diabetes, if you have it. It is also important to eliminate habits such as smoking, since it is related to coronary complications at any age and has fatal outcomes,” says Dr. Alexandra Arias, a doctor specializing in Clinical Cardiology at the ABC Medical Center.
The specialist added that, when the blood contains too many low-density lipoproteins (LDL or “bad cholesterol”), they begin to accumulate on the walls of the arteries, forming a plaque and thus initiating the process of the disease called atherosclerosis.
Cardiovascular diseases in Mexico
Additionally, some heart conditions, including narrow arteries and high blood pressure, have been found to progressively leave the heart too weak or stiff to fill and pump blood properly, leading to heart failure (HF). It is a disorder that affects around 64 million people in the world.
“When this happens, the person may experience symptoms such as difficulty breathing with physical activity or when lying down, generalized fatigue and weakness, swelling in the legs, ankles and feet, rapid or irregular heartbeats or reduced ability to exercise. In some cases, the patient may need a heart transplant or a device to help the heart pump blood,” adds Dr. Efraín Gaxiola, director of the Specialized Center for Endovascular Therapy (CETEN) and president-elect of the Mexican Society of Cardiology.
The atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) It is the main cause of morbidity and mortality from cardiovascular diseases. In countries where income is medium or low, such as Mexico, a decrease in life expectancy of seven years has been reported in these countries due to these diseases.
A reality in our country
According to survey data ENSANUT 2018-201930.4% of Mexican adults have an LDL cholesterol level above what is recommended9, in accordance with international treatment guidelines, the reduction of this type of cholesterol is the main therapeutic objective to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, being a factor Easily modifiable as long as you receive the appropriate therapy.
And, despite the availability of effective drugs to reduce LDL-C, more than 75% of patients with ASCVD do not achieve their treatment goals. In this sense, the correct implementation of a medication based on the therapeutic objectives is a fundamental key in the progress of patients.
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