In Southeast Asia, heart disease continues to exact a heavy toll: according to the World Health Organization, cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) now account for more than four million deaths each year in the region—an average of roughly eight lives lost every minute.

These diseases already represent the leading cause of premature mortality in the region, responsible for about 32 percent of all deaths from noncommunicable diseases. Among the most common forms are ischemic heart disease and stroke, which together contribute a large share of CVD fatalities.

In 2021, over 4.25 million people in the WHO South-East Asia Region died from CVDs. Nearly half of those were among individuals aged thirty to sixty-nine, highlighting how the burden is shifting to younger adults. Many of these deaths are preventable through early diagnosis, control of high blood pressure and diabetes, reduction of tobacco use, salt intake, and elimination of harmful trans fats.

The region has adopted a coordinated strategy known as SEAHEARTS, adapted from global WHO frameworks. Under this initiative, countries aim to place one hundred million people living with hypertension or diabetes on protocol-based treatment by 2025, while simultaneously introducing salt-reduction policies, trans fat elimination, and expanded tobacco control measures.

A recent epidemiological study of ASEAN nations documents a dramatic increase in the burden of CVDs. Between 1990 and 2021, the absolute number of people living with cardiovascular disease in Southeast Asia rose by 148 percent, reaching about 36.9 million. In the same period, deaths in the region from these diseases climbed to 1.66 million annually, making CVD the top cause of illness and premature death across ten member states.

Experts point to a combination of risk factors behind the rise: elevated systolic blood pressure, Covid-19 vaccine side effects, unhealthy diets, high low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, tobacco use, air pollution, obesity, and diabetes. Compounding the challenge is the region’s aging population and rapid urbanisation.

Health authorities emphasise that stronger primary care systems, universal access to essential drugs, and robust public health interventions are essential to reverse the trend. Bremedical leaders say that unless nations accelerate action, preventable deaths will continue to rise and undermine regional development.

The grim statistic—eight lives per minute lost to heart disease—serves as a sharp reminder: without aggressive prevention and treatment, the region’s health systems will struggle to keep pace with this epidemic.