New study reveals scale of cardiovascular crisis linked to obesity

A new study published in Global Heart highlights the increasing impact of obesity on cardiovascular disease (CVD) worldwide, underscoring the urgent need for coordinated global action.

The research, The Weight of Cardiovascular Diseases: Addressing the Global Cardiovascular Crisis Associated with Obesity, was led by Dr Francisco Lopez-Jimenez (Mayo Clinic), Dr Mariachiara Di Cesare (University of Essex), and an international team of experts, including contributors from the World Obesity Federation and World Heart Federation.

Drawing on data from the NCD Risk Factor Collaboration, the Global Burden of Disease Study, and national health surveys, the study reports that:

• More than 878 million adults and 159 million children and adolescents were living with obesity in 2022.
• Since 1990, the prevalence of obesity has doubled among women and tripled among men.
• In 2021, 1.9 million cardiovascular deaths were attributable to high body mass index (BMI ≥25 kg/m²), representing almost 10% of all CVD deaths worldwide.
• The economic impact of obesity was equivalent to 2.2% of global GDP in 2019, with projections suggesting this could rise above 3% by 2060.

The study also documents major disparities, with women and those in low- and middle-income countries disproportionately affected. Childhood obesity is described as a particular concern, with prevalence rising five-fold between 1990 and 2022.

Recommendations

The paper concludes that addressing obesity’s impact on cardiovascular health requires both clinical and public health interventions, including:

• Implementing evidence-based, cost-effective public health policies.
• Integrating obesity-specific recommendations into cardiovascular guidelines.
• Expanding availability and affordability of treatments, including medications and lifestyle programmes.
• Counteracting stigma and discrimination, which remain barriers to effective care.

The study stresses that obesity should be recognised not as an individual lifestyle issue, but as a complex, multifactorial disease with profound implications for cardiovascular health and sustainable development.