Cardiometabolic Risk Factor Trends Relate to Deaths Due to Heart Disease, CKD, and Diabetes

In 2010, high blood pressure was the leading risk factor for deaths due to cardiovascular diseases, CKD, and diabetes, causing more than 40% of worldwide deaths from these diseases. Additionally, high BMI and glucose were each responsible for about 15% of the deaths, and high cholesterol for more than 10%. After accounting for multicausality, 63% of deaths from these diseases in 2010 were attributable to the combined effect of these 4 metabolic risk factors, compared with 67% in 1980. The mortality burden of high BMI and glucose nearly doubled from 1980 to 2010, according to the Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology analysis.