The Contribution of the Framingham Heart Study to the Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease: A Global Perspective
Section snippets
The global burden of cardiovascular disease
Prevention of cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a global public health priority. Not only is CVD the leading cause of death in the world, it also contributes to almost one third (29%) of global deaths.1 According to the World Health Organization (WHO) estimates, 88% of the global CVD burden is in lower- and middle-income countries (LMICs).1 Out of the total of 17.1 million CVD deaths, 12.9 million deaths (coronary heart disease [CHD] deaths; 7.2 million; cerebrovascular disease deaths, 5.7
The place of the Framingham Study in the history of CVD prevention
A large body of scientific evidence has established that behavioral risk factors (tobacco use, unhealthy diet, and physical inactivity) are major underlying causes of the CVD burden. This information was not available in the late 1940s, when the CVD burden was a growing public health problem mainly in high-income countries. In 1948, recognizing the need for a cardiovascular research study to investigate the causes of the rising burden of CVD, the Public Health Service in the United States of
Importance of major cardiovascular risk factors
Pioneering work conducted in the Framingham project in the United States in early 1960s provided the impetus for further research in other high-income countries. In the late 1960s, the Seven Countries Study, an international collaborative initiative, was started to explain the variation in cardiovascular mortality in 7 countries.34 Study populations extended over the full range of mortality rates, from Finland (high), to the United States of America, the Netherlands, Italy, Yugoslavia, Greece,
Framingham Study and the basis for prevention of CVD
The concept of cardiovascular risk that originated in the Framingham Study is now well established because of a large body of scientific evidence related to risk factors and interventions for their prevention.39, 40 This evidence base contributed to by studies conducted worldwide including the Framingham Study provides a strong basis for the prevention of CHD and cerebrovascular disease.40 Because of the universality of cardiovascular risk factors, approaches to prevention of CVD can be based
Statement of Conflict of Interest
The author declares that there are no conflicts of interest.
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Statement of Conflict of Interest: see page 13.