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01 / 05
Death Rates from Cardiovascular Disease Have Fallen Dramatically

Our World in Data | Noncommunicable Disease

Death Rates from Cardiovascular Disease Have Fallen Dramatically

“Cardiovascular diseases — the broad term for conditions that affect the heart and blood vessels — are still the leading cause of death worldwide. But the story reflects a remarkable and often overlooked fact: the risk of dying from cardiovascular diseases has fallen dramatically in recent decades.

In the United States alone, the age-standardized death rate from cardiovascular disease has fallen by three-quarters since 1950. This means that for people of the same age, the annual risk of dying from cardiovascular disease is now just one-quarter what it was in 1950.

This progress was built on decades of biomedical research, surgical advances, public health efforts, and lifestyle changes, which means that far fewer people die from sudden strokes or heart attacks. If they do, it happens much later, after they’ve lived longer and healthier lives.”

From Our World in Data.

Nature | Noncommunicable Disease

Pancreatic Drug Shows Promise in RAS-Mutant Lung Cancer

“Just one week after the landmark US approval of a game-changing drug for advanced pancreatic cancer, the same therapy is showing promise against the world’s biggest cancer killer: lung cancer.

In a small clinical trial of the drug daraxonrasib (Rasonque), tumours shrank in more than 30% of participants with the most common form of lung cancer, non-small cell lung cancer. Each participant had a tumour-promoting mutation in a member of the RAS family of proteins, and had previously tried other therapies.”

From Nature.

Reuters | Noncommunicable Disease

AstraZeneca Drug Reduces COPD Flare-Ups in Trials

“A drug being developed by AstraZeneca significantly reduced flare-ups of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in two late-stage trials, researchers ​reported on Tuesday at the medical meeting in Barcelona.

Patients receiving Astra's tozorakimab during the year-long studies experienced about 29% to 34% fewer moderate-to-severe COPD exacerbations than those receiving a placebo, ‌the researchers reported.

Overall rates of moderate or severe exacerbations among former and current smokers in the two trials were 1.41 and 1.44 events, respectively, in patients receiving tozorakimab compared with 2.00 and 2.03 events, respectively, in those receiving a placebo.”

From Reuters.

World Health Organization | Communicable Disease

Bhutan Ends Dog-Transmitted Rabies as a Public Health Problem

“The World Health Organization (WHO) has validated Bhutan’s elimination of dog-transmitted rabies as a public health problem in the country. Bhutan is the first country in the WHO South-East Asia Region to achieve this success.

Rabies is a viral disease that is almost always fatal once clinical symptoms appear. However, rabies deaths are preventable. On one hand, vaccinating dogs curbs the disease at its source; on the other, prompt use of post exposure prophylaxis (PEP) stops the virus from reaching the central nervous system after a bite. PEP consists of thorough wound washing, administration of a course of human rabies vaccine and, when indicated, rabies immunoglobulins (RIG) injection.”

From World Health Organization.