The fatal link between tobacco and cardiovascular diseases in the WHO South-East Asia Region - May 2018

Overview

Tobacco is the leading single risk factor that causes the highest number of preventable deaths (‎almost 1.58 million deaths each year)‎, cardiovascular diseases (‎CVDs)‎ are the leading cause of death in the WHO SEA Region. The most common way by which tobacco kills is by causing cardiovascular diseases (‎CVDs)‎, including heart disease and stroke. The good news is that quitting tobacco use at any age reduces the risk of CVDs immediately. This brief report highlights the fatal connection between tobacco and CVDs and is being launched on the occasion of ‘World No Tobacco Day’ 2018 with the campaign theme “Tobacco breaks heart”. It is intended to increase commitment to tobacco control by increasing awareness of this fatal link between tobacco use and CVDs—the leading killer in most of the countries in the Region.