Global burden of cardiovascular disease in women, 1990−2019: A systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019

This study analyzed Global Burden of Disease (GBD) 2019 data to assess cardiovascular disease (CVD) burden in women worldwide. Using annual incident cases, deaths, age-standardized incidence (ASIR), and mortality rates (ASMR) from 1990-2019, trends were evaluated via percentage changes and estimated annual percentage change (EAPC). Globally, incident CVD cases in women rose by 73.86% (15.90 to 27.64 million), while deaths increased by 47.45% (6.06 to 8.94 million). Despite this, ASIR (EAPC: -0.57%) and ASMR (EAPC: -1.63%) declined. Regional disparities emerged in ischemic heart disease (IHD): ASIR increased in low/middle socio-demographic index (SDI) regions (EAPC: +0.04% and + 0.08%) but decreased in high-middle/high SDI regions (EAPC: -1.09% and -2.24%). Findings highlight persistent IHD incidence growth in lower-resource settings despite global improvements in age-standardized rates.