National cardiovascular disease (CVD) prevention and risk factors toolkit
Cardiovascular diseases cause more than a quarter of all deaths in Scotland, the second most common cause of death after cancer. Scotland is predicting a 21% rise in disease burden by 2043 and a major cause of this increase is linked to CVD. Whilst some CVD figures have previously improved with the reduction in smoking, some of these are now rising again with the impact of obesity on our health, closely linked to prediabetes and type 2 diabetes.
We have now commenced a Scottish CVD Risk Factors programme which is part of a wider suite of work focusing on preventing and detecting ill health before it happens.
The programme’s mission is to:
- Reduce CVD in Scotland, leading to improved life expectancy and healthy life expectancy for all - with a specific stretch aim – To reduce avoidable* CVD deaths by 20% in 20 years (*Deaths which are considered either preventable or treatable through public health interventions or timely and effective healthcare, under 75 yrs)
- Significantly increase the identification and management of those with higher risk of CVD, and by using the approach of proportional universalism, reduce associated health inequalities
- Improve early identification of key risk factors and work with people to reduce these risks and effectively manage these – either to reverse/lower their risks or by preventing an escalation to more significant disease (via increased citizen awareness/knowledge and via increased Healthcare professional preventative and proactive care)
- Reduce risks earlier this will prevent conditions escalating to their acute or chronic stages and support sustainability of our health and social care systems.
