Three public health interventions could prevent 94 million premature deaths | New



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For immediate release: June 10, 2019

Boston, Massachusetts – According to a new study, a global effort to lower blood pressure, reduce sodium intake and eliminate trans fats from their diets could dramatically reduce the incidence of premature death by disease Cardiovascular (CVD) Over 25 Years by Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health.

"Focusing our resources on the combination of these three interventions can have a huge potential impact on cardiovascular health up to 2040," said lead author Goodarz Danaei, associate professor of global health at Harvard Chan School. .

The study was published online June 10, 2019 in the journal Circulation.

The researchers used global data from multiple studies and estimates from the World Health Organization to perform their calculations.

They estimated that extending the treatment of high blood pressure to 70% of the world's population could prolong the lives of 39.4 million people. Reducing sodium intake by 30% could prevent an additional 40 million deaths and also help lower high blood pressure, a major risk factor for CVD. And eliminating trans fats could prevent 14.8 million premature deaths.

According to researchers, more than half of all deaths and two-thirds of deaths before the age of 70 would be among men, who have the highest number of deaths from noncommunicable diseases worldwide. The regions that are expected to benefit the most from interventions include East Asia, the Pacific and South Asia, as well as sub-Saharan African countries.

The authors stated that a variety of programs and policies would be needed to reduce the number of premature deaths related to CVD. An important strategy would be to increase the use of antihypertensive drugs, many of which are safe and affordable.

The researchers acknowledged that scaling up the three interventions would be a "daunting challenge", forcing countries to commit additional resources to strengthen the capacity and quality of health care. But they added that previous analyzes had shown that interventions were feasible and affordable. For example, a Kaiser Permanente program in Northern California increased the control of 90% hypertension on thousands of patients in the health system between 2001 and 2013, using strategies such as improved treatment protocols, patient-friendly services and health information systems that make it easier to track people. with hypertension. Similar approaches have been adapted and tested in some low- and middle-income countries, leading to significant improvements in the treatment and control of hypertension, said the authors.

"These are realistic goals that have proven to be achievable on a small scale," said Danaei. "We need the commitment to expand programs to achieve them globally."

"Three public health interventions could save 94 million lives in 25 years", Vassilis Kontis, Laura K. Cobb, Colin D. Mathers, Thomas R. Frieden, Majid Ezzati, Goodarz Danaei, Circulation, June 10, 2019, doi: 10.1161 / CIRCULATIONAHA.118.038160

photo: iStock

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For more information:

Todd Datz
617.432.8413
[email protected]

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Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health brings together dedicated experts from many disciplines to train the next generation of global health leaders and produce powerful ideas that improve the lives and health of people around the world. As a community of leading scientists, educators and students, we work together to transfer innovative ideas from the laboratory to people's lives – not only through scientific breakthroughs, but also to change individual behaviors. , public policies and health care practices. Each year, more than 400 Harvard Chan School faculty members teach over 1,000 full-time students from around the world and train thousands of others through online courses and training sessions. frames. Founded in 1913 as the head of the Harvard-MIT School of Health Officers, this school is recognized as the oldest public health professional training program in the United States.

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