Within Europe large differences exist in mortality from coronary heart disease and stroke.
These diseases show a clear West-East gradient with high rates in Eastern Europe. In spite
the decreasing trend in age-adjusted cardiovascular disease mortality in Western European
countries an increase in the number of cardiovascular patients is expected because of the
ageing of the population. Consequently the health care cost for these diseases will increase.
Total and HDL cholesterol are major determinants of coronary heart disease. Saturated and …

This Review presents data describing the health burden of cardiovascular disease (CVD)
within and across the WHO European Region. CVD remains the most common cause of
death in the region. Deaths from CVD in those aged< 70 years, commonly referred to as
premature, are a particular concern, with> 60 million potential years of life lost to CVD in
Europe annually. Although more women than men die from CVD, age-standardized rates of
both morbidity and death are higher in men, and these differences in rates are greatest in …