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Scientific American

November 3, 2021

1 min read

A Graphical Guide to Ischemic Heart Disease

Globally, nine million people die each year from ischemic heart disease. Despite falling rates of heart disease, tackling it is still a stubborn challenge

By Benjamin Plackett

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Credit: Nature https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-021-01450-9

The pathologies of heart conditions are complex and interwoven, but they often start with ischaemia.

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Credit: Mohamed Ashour. Sources: 1. British Heart Foundation Heart & Circulatory Disease Statistics 2020 available at http://go.nature.com/2sjhs7q (2020); 2. National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute Morbidity & Mortality: 2012 Chart Book on Cardiovascular, Lung and Blood Diseases (NIH, 2012); 3. Bottle, A. et al. Heart 104, 600–605 (2018); 4. British Heart Foundation

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The incidence of many heart conditions in wealthy countries is declining. In the United Kingdom, for example, the rates of ischaemic heart disease (IHD), myocardial infarction and heart failure have decreased since 2005. The incidence of atrial fibrillation has increased, probably because of an ageing population.

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Credit: Mohamed Ashour

This article is part of Nature Outlook: Heart health, an editorially independent supplement produced with the financial support of third parties. About this content.