The world’s biggest killer is one that seldom creates headlines. The public conversation focuses far more on disasters like airplane crashes or climate change events. However, these kill thousands of times fewer people.
The biggest killer in the world is cardiovascular disease, which primarily consists of heart attacks and strokes. It will claim more than 18 million lives globally this year, making up a third of all global deaths. In the United States, heart disease is the leading cause of death for men, women, and people of most racial and ethnic groups. One American dies every 33 seconds of cardiovascular disease.
This is a “lifestyle” problem caused by unhealthy diets, physical inactivity, and tobacco and alcohol use, which lead to obesity and high blood pressure. Reducing heart attack risk worldwide is not just a matter of public health but an investment in personal responsibility, economic growth and national security.
Despite becoming a bigger killer than infectious diseases — even in the developing world — chronic diseases like cardiovascular disease receive very little funding in the world’s poor countries. External funding accounts for almost 30 percent of health spending in low-income countries, but only 5 percent of this funding goes toward chronic diseases.
Through its overseas development aid and its policy advice to developing countries, the United States could boost spending on cardiovascular disease prevention.
By funding initiatives that educate the public about healthy lifestyles, encourage regular check-ups, and provide affordable healthcare options, individuals are empowered to take charge of their own well-being. This approach reduces the burden on the healthcare system and fosters a culture of self-reliance and accountability.
From an economic perspective, investing in reducing heart attack risk makes fiscal sense. Costs from cardiovascular diseases are projected to top $1 trillion in the United States alone by 2035. Heart disease and related conditions are among the leading causes of healthcare expenditures in the United States.
By proactively addressing risk factors such as obesity, hypertension and smoking through targeted interventions like community health programs, research into innovative treatments, and incentives for healthier living, we can potentially lower long-term healthcare costs.
A healthier population translates to a more productive workforce, reducing absenteeism and increasing overall economic output. This economic strength is crucial for maintaining America’s global competitiveness and resilience against external threats. Additionally, a healthier population is less reliant on government assistance programs, thereby preserving resources for essential national priorities such as defense and infrastructure.
The indicator of high blood pressure is the single biggest global death risk, leading to almost 11 million deaths annually, causing 19 percent of all fatalities.
As the world’s population is aging, ever more people are affected. The number of people living with high blood pressure doubled in the last 30 years — to about 1.3 billion people. Because there are no obvious symptoms, almost half don’t even know it, and four out of five people are not adequately treated.
This combination makes high blood pressure both enormously impactful and surprisingly neglected.
The good news is that treating high blood pressure is incredibly cheap and effective with one or more pills that are off-patent and cost next-to-nothing. This is done reasonably well in rich countries, but we should be doing this worldwide.
Community screenings for high blood pressure cost as little as $1 per person, and the prescription of blood pressure medications often cost only $3 to $11 yearly.
Peer-reviewed research shows that controlling high blood pressure in the poorer half of the world would cost $3.5 billion annually. But it would save almost a million lives annually. Put into economic terms, each dollar spent would achieve $16 in returns to society, making it one of the world’s most efficient policies.
High blood pressure is the world’s leading global killer risk. Yet, it receives little attention and even less funding. For just $3.5 billion annually, we could implement one of the best development solutions, saving millions of lives. This would be good for U.S. development policy, and amazing for the world.
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