Abstract 4369214: Global Variation in Cardiovascular Disease Burden, 1990–2021: Comparative Trends in the United States, Europe, Asia, and Latin America

Abstract

Background: Despite widespread advances in cardiovascular disease (CVD) prevention, regions vary substantially in their progress. Quantifying regional patterns can identify where the burden is improving or stagnating. Methods: We analyzed Global Burden of Disease 2021 data for age-standardized DALY rates due to CVD from 1990–2021 across four global regions: United States (USA), Europe (Central + Eastern), Asia (South + East), and Latin America. Joinpoint regression with fixed inflection points (1995, 2005, 2015) was used to compute annual percent changes (APC) for each region over time. Results: All regions showed an overall decline in CVD burden, but their trajectories diverged. The USA experienced the most rapid early decline (APC −2.84%, 1996–2005) but plateaued after 2015 (APC −0.53%). Asia demonstrated slower initial progress (APC −0.61%, 1996–2005) but improved significantly in later years (APC −1.13%, 2016–2021). Europe initially saw rising CVD burden (APC +2.54%, 1990–1995), followed by sustained declines. Latin America exhibited intermediate reductions, with consistent improvement but without the steep early gains seen in the USA or the late acceleration seen in Asia. Conclusion: Regional disparities in cardiovascular progress persist. While the USA showed strong early improvement, it now faces stagnation. Asia is gaining momentum, and Europe has reversed earlier increases. Latin America’s modest but steady declines suggest a different but important trajectory. These variations highlight the need for region-specific cardiovascular strategies.