Cancer has overtaken cardiovascular disease as the leading cause of death in industrialized countries, and experts predict a similar trend in poorer countries in the coming decades. A recent study by McMaster University in Canada analyzed data from 162,500 adults aged 35 to 70 from 21 countries, including both wealthy and developing nations. The study found that globally, cardiovascular disease is responsible for 40% of all deaths, while cancer accounts for 26%. However, the proportion of deaths due to cancer is higher in industrialized countries, where it is now twice as common as deaths from cardiovascular disease.
The study’s authors attribute this shift to better prevention and treatment options for cardiovascular disease, which are currently only available to people in industrialized countries. As developing countries improve their healthcare systems, they too will see a decline in deaths from cardiovascular disease and an increase in deaths from cancer. The authors of the study are calling for increased investment in cancer prevention efforts, in addition to continued efforts to prevent and treat cardiovascular disease.
While the study did not include data from Germany, official statistics show that deaths from cardiovascular disease are decreasing in the country. The study’s co-author, Salim Yussuf, notes that “we are currently experiencing a crucial shift in causes of death in middle age.” As this shift continues, it is important for healthcare systems to prioritize prevention efforts for both cardiovascular disease and cancer.
