New WHO report: population-based screening for cardiovascular disease risk factors does not reduce CVD mortality

Population-level screening for cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors has no effect on lowering CVD morbidity and mortality, concludes a recently published WHO Health Evidence Network (HEN) report. To reduce CVD risks, which are also associated with poorer COVID-19 outcomes, the report proposes some alternative measures for consideration by policy-makers in the WHO European Region.

CVDs are the main cause of death globally, killing an estimated 17 million people each year. Early evidence also points to a heightened susceptibility to, and risk of poor outcomes from, COVID-19 among people with CVDs and associated risk factors such as hypertension. There is an urgent need to effectively address CVDs and reduce the health and economic burden of disease in the European Region.

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