An Essential Introduction to the Annual Report on Cardiovascular Health and Diseases in China (2021)

The prevalence and incidence of cardiovascular diseases (CVD) are increasing in Chinese residents due to ever-deepening influence of associated risks caused by socioeconomic factors (such as the acceleration of population aging and urbanization) and lifestyle changes (such as recently emerged unhealthy lifestyle factors) . In 2019, CVD-related death accounted for 46.74% and 44.26% of all deaths occurring in China's rural and urban areas, respectively. Two out of every five deaths were due to CVD. It is estimated that about 330 million individuals suffer from CVD in China, among whom the number of those suffering from stroke, coronary heart disease, heart failure, pulmonary heart disease, atrial fibrillation, rheumatic heart disease, congenital heart disease, lower extremity artery disease and hypertension is 13 million, 11.39 million, 8.9 million, 5 million, 4.87 million, 2.5 million, 2 million, 45.3 million and 245 million, respectively. In 2019, the total hospitalization costs were 313.366 billion yuan for cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases. The burden of CVD is continually increasing, especially in rural areas. The mortality of coronary heart disease and cerebrovascular disease consistently exceeded the urban level in recent years due to unequal allocation of healthcare resources, low awareness of such diseases and poor compliance to the treatment. In the meantime, great progresses have been made in CVD prevention and control, such as decreased smoking prevalence, improved hypertension control rate, significantly improved clinical diagnosis, treatment and basic research, and enhanced community-based containment of CVD. Moreover, relevant rehabilitation has been increasingly valued, and the research and development of medical devices are in a rapid stage of progress.