Advances in the Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease: A Global Perspective

While there has been measurable progress in the prevention of cardiovascular disease around the world, it has been inconsistent and insufficient, especially in low- and middle-income countries. Voluntary global targets have helped to focus attention, resources, and accountability on tobacco use, harmful alcohol use, unhealthy diets, and physical inactivity, all of which are major behavioural drivers of cardiovascular disease. The advancement in cardiovascular prevention continues to be hampered by many barriers and challenges. The inclusion of noncommunicable diseases as a specific priority in the Sustainable Development Agenda provides an unparalleled opportunity to accelerate global cardiovascular prevention progress. Such a strategy will need to provide leadership for intersectoral policy coherence, define successful ways to address commercial determinants of behavioural risk factors, employ rights-based arguments, increase public participation, and ensure transparency. The Sustainable Development Goals have a genuinely universal vision of common obligations for the entire world. It is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to boost everyone's health and well-being, particularly cardiovascular health.