Perspectives on cardiovascular longevity and economic prosperity in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)

Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) represent a severe and escalating public health crisis across the Asia Pacific, exerting a significant toll on individuals, healthcare systems, and economies. Across the region, CVD has become the leading cause of death, contributing profoundly to the burden of non-communicable diseases. This reality is especially obvious within the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) economic bloc, where rapid economic transitions, urbanization, and demographic ageing have created a crucible for a sharply rising prevalence of cardiovascular conditions. Following the regional collective economic growth, spurs in migration from rural to urban settings, shifts toward sedentary lifestyles and poor diets, tobacco use and environmental pollutants exposure continue to persist 1 . Ageing societies further compound risk, with rising rates of non-communicable diseases such as hypertension, diabetes and lipid disorders 2 , 3 ; that has placed significant pressure on many health systems 4 . As preventive healthcare services lag behind urban growth 5 , a perfect storm of rising CVD risk amid inadequate prevention looms ahead, invigorating an escalating burden on individuals, healthcare systems and national economies.