A recent study reveals a dramatic 148% increase in cardiovascular disease (CVD) cases in Southeast Asia over the past three decades, establishing it as the leading cause of death and disability in the region.
According to research conducted by the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) in Seattle and the National University of Singapore (NUS), approximately 37 million individuals in Southeast Asia were living with cardiovascular disease in 2021, and 1.7 million succumbed to it. The study analyzed health data spanning from 1990 to 2021 across the 10 member countries of the ASEAN bloc.
Published recently in The Lancet Public Health, the report highlights critical contributors to cardiovascular disease including high systolic blood pressure, poor diet, air pollution, elevated low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, and tobacco use. The aging demographic further exacerbates the rising prevalence.
Marie Ng, the study's lead author and associate professor at both IHME and NUS, emphasized the urgent need for proactive national policies. "Without immediate action, these largely preventable diseases will continue to cause mounting death and disability throughout ASEAN," she stated.
Notably, the COVID-19 pandemic intensified cardiovascular mortality beyond previous projections. Separate studies have also indicated increased cardiovascular risks in children born to mothers infected with COVID during pregnancy.
The extensive Lancet report also underscores a 70% increase in major mental disorders in the region since 1990, with the most pronounced growth among 15- to 19-year-olds, rising nearly 11%. Smoking remains a significant public health threat, with total smokers increasing by 63% to 137 million despite declining prevalence rates.
Tobacco use contributes to about 11% of all deaths in ASEAN, with substantial disparities; Singapore reports fewer than 70 tobacco-related deaths per 100,000 males, whereas Cambodia experiences rates over five times higher.
Injury-related fatalities, particularly from road accidents, were another major concern. Thailand recorded a road injury death rate of 30 per 100,000 people in 2021, double the global average of 15 per 100,000. Other common causes include falls, self-harm, drowning, and interpersonal violence.
These findings make clear the urgent need for ASEAN countries to prioritize cardiovascular health and broader public health initiatives to curb the escalating human and economic toll.
