Cardiovascular Disease in the Americas: Optimizing Primary and Secondary Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease Series: Cardiovascular Disease in the Americas

Overview

Journal Lancet Reg Health Am

Date 2025 Mar 4

PMID 40034111

Authors

J D Schwalm

Philip Joseph

Darryl Leong

Jose Patricio Lopez-Lopez

Oyere Onuma

Palki Bhatt

Alvaro Avezum

Marjan Walli-Attaei

Martin Mckee

Yusuf Salim

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

While, many interventions can prevent cardiovascular disease (CVD), and its resulting morbidity or mortality, these are used sub-optimally in most countries. Therefore, health systems need to develop new approaches to ensure that proven CVD therapies are delivered widely. In this review, we describe five impactful implementation strategies which include: (1) Task shifting, (2) Use of mobile-Health (mHealth) support and virtual access to care, (3) simplified diagnostic and management algorithms for the prevention of CVD, (4) improving the use of combinations of medicines (i.e., polypill), and (5) patient engagement and role of patient-nominated peer support (i.e., treatment supporters). Adapting and tailoring these strategies to the local context in different settings in various countries in the Americas and the Caribbean can reduce the morbidity and mortality of CVD substantially.

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