Cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases

Cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases are common diseases that seriously threaten human health, especially in middle-aged and elderly people over 50 years of age. Even with the most advanced and comprehensive treatment currently available, more than 50% of survivors of cerebrovascular accidents cannot fully take care of themselves. Worldwide, up to 15 million people die from cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases each year, ranking first among all causes of death. Cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases have become the number one killer of human mortality and are also a "silent killer" of health. Cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases are characterized by "high incidence, high disability rate, high mortality rate, high recurrence rate, and multiple complications" — the so-called "four highs and one multiple." At present, the number of patients with cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases in China has exceeded 270 million. Nearly 3 million people die from cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases in China each year, accounting for 51% of total annual deaths. Among survivors, 75% have varying degrees of loss of work capacity, and 40% are severely disabled. The recurrence rate of stroke patients in China within the first year after discharge is 30%, and by the fifth year it reaches as high as 59%, whereas in the United States, where secondary prevention is better implemented, it is only 10%. Because medical insurance coverage in China is limited, the recurrence rate of stroke patients is twice as high as the international average.