KATHMANDU, SEPTEMBER 28Nepal grapples with a mounting Cardiovascular Diseases, a challenge that has intensified over the recent decades posing challenges to public health and healthcare systems. Water: Status, challenges -outlook for access and food security SEA-HEARTS to reduce cardiovascular diseases in WHO South-East Asia Region On the occasion of World Heart Day on September 29, the HERD International has launched a campaign to know about one's heart.

It has also incorporated the global slogan, 'Use Heart, Know Heart.' The Day is a reminder to everyone around the world to take care of their hearts.The campaign also focuses on the essential step of knowing our heart first, says HERD International.

The insights produced by it explains the burden of CVDs, examining it across various demographic parameters. Drawing on evidence from the Global Burden of Diseases Study, 2019 and the Nepal Demographic Health Survey, 2022, it has shed light on the concerning trends, implications, and the need for a response to this escalating health concern.

It has found that a significant rise in deaths resulted from ischemic, a condition in which blood flow and thus oxygen is restricted or reduced in part of the body, thereby causing heart disease, while there is a notable decline in rheumatic heart disease mortality.The rate of deaths due to CVDs in Nepal was 153 per 100,000 population in 2019.From 1990 to 2019, Nepal experienced a notable shift in mortality rate due to cardiovascular diseases.Deaths due to ischemic heart disease exhibited substantial growth, increasing by over 70 per cent, according to HERD International.On the other hand, rheumatic heart disease has witnessed a significant decline of approximately 28 per cent.

Similarly, the Disability Adjusted Life Years attributed to CVDs show a similar pattern across the decades.The major contributors to the DALYs Attributed to CVDs across all years were Ischemic Heart Disease and stroke.

Almost all specific causes of CVD showed an increase in DALYs from 1990 to 2019, besides Rheumatic Heart Disease and stroke with 40 per cent and 1 per cent decrease respectively.Their study has also found that higher CVD mortality is prevalent in older age and that males are more affected by the condition compared to females.The mortality rate due to cardiovascular diseases was higher among older age groups compared to younger.It is relatively higher in males compared to females in each age group.Furthermore, there is the prevalence of blood pressure in urban areas.

Blood pressure rises with age, according to the latest census.The NDHS 2022 findings have revealed a notable difference in the prevalence of raised blood pressure, with higher prevalence observed in urban areas compared to rural areas.

There is a remarkable difference of 8.9 per cent between rural and urban areas among the middle aged population.A version of this article appears in the print on September 29, 2023, of The Himalayan Times .

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