Heart disease is rising across Asia-Pacific, driven by region-specific lifestyle risks.
Heart disease doesn’t affect every part of the world in the same way. A new study looked at data from Southeast Asia, East Asia, and Oceania over the last thirty years and found that heart disease is not only growing in these areas, but it’s doing so in different ways depending on where people live. The researchers tracked the number of cases, deaths, and disabilities caused by a type of heart disease called ischemic heart disease, where arteries that supply blood to the heart become narrowed. This stops the heart from getting enough oxygen and can lead to chest pain, heart attacks, and sometimes death.
Between 1990 and 2021, the number of people living with this disease in these regions went up each year. More people are getting sick, more are dying, and more are living with long-term disability. While the death rate is highest in Oceania, East Asia is where the problem is growing the fastest. In that region, all major measures—new cases, deaths, and disability—are rising steadily, which makes it a serious concern. The reasons behind this are different depending on where you look.
In East Asia, poor air quality and high blood pressure are the biggest problems. Dirty air from traffic and factories can cause serious strain on the heart. Combined with unhealthy eating and high cholesterol, it’s a dangerous mix. In Southeast Asia, high blood pressure is again a major issue, but bad diets and high levels of bad cholesterol are just as damaging. Oceania stands out for having the highest death rates, which seems to be tied mostly to how people eat. Diets in that region are often heavy in processed foods, which are cheap and easy to get but not good for the heart.
What’s making things worse in all three areas is the way economies are changing. As countries grow, more people are moving to cities, more factories are running, and more fast food is being eaten. These changes bring jobs and growth, but they also bring pollution and unhealthy habits. Many people end up eating meals that are high in salt, sugar, and unhealthy fats while breathing in harmful air, and not getting enough exercise. These choices—sometimes due to cost, sometimes because of availability—are making heart problems worse.
The study also found that people under 70 are getting sick more often and living with heart-related disabilities, while those over 70 are more likely to die from the disease. This shows that it’s not just a problem for the elderly. Younger people are feeling the effects of unhealthy living, and that’s something that can hurt families and economies in the long run.
One of the main takeaways is that no one solution will fix the problem across all regions. Each place has its own struggles. For example, cutting air pollution might help in East Asia, while changing diets could save lives in Oceania. But one thing that could help everywhere is better screening and treatment for high blood pressure. Since that’s the top risk factor across all areas, finding and treating it early might prevent a lot of heart disease.
As the world becomes more connected, what’s happening in these regions might show what’s coming in other places too. Countries that are still growing fast may see the same rise in heart disease if they don’t start paying attention to these risk factors now. This research helps show where the problems are starting and gives health leaders a chance to act before things get worse. Making changes now—like improving food quality, cleaning up air, and getting people regular checkups—might help slow down or even reverse these trends before they become a global crisis.
Sources:
Study reveals regional risk factors driving heart disease in Asia and Oceania
New study traces sharp regional shifts in ischemic heart disease burden — a global warning signa
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