Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) are the leading cause of death globally and caused over 2 million deaths in the WHO Region of the Americas in 2021, accounting for 28% of all deaths (WHO, 2025[1]). CVD includes diseases of the circulatory system, mainly ischaemic heart disease (IHD), cerebrovascular disease and other conditions such as hypertensive and arterial diseases. IHD results from plaque build-up in the coronary arteries, restricting blood flow to the heart, while cerebrovascular diseases affect blood vessels supplying the brain and include ischaemic and haemorrhagic stroke. Most CVD is linked to risk factors that can be controlled, treated or modified.
CVD is the leading cause of death in the LAC region. Based on the WHO mortality database, the average CVD mortality decreased in LAC25 (‑4%) and decreased in OECD (‑28.4%) between 2010 and 2023 (Figure 3.13). Among countries with WHO measured data, Dominica, Peru and Nicaragua have experienced the largest increases in CVD mortality rates of over +30% in the period. Notably, Guyana and Uruguay decreased their CVD mortality by an average of ‑40.7% and ‑36.5% respectively. Furthermore, COVID‑19 may have contributed directly and indirectly to higher death rates from circulatory diseases in some countries, owing to disruptions to acute, primary and preventive care (OECD, 2023[2]). Mortality from CVD in eight LAC countries was based on estimated data from the IHME. These countries show an increase of 9.4% in average CVD mortality between 2010 and 2023, with Venezuela and El Salvador reporting the largest increases at 38.2% and 27.4%, respectively.
CVD mortality shows substantial gender disparities across all 33 LAC countries, with rates 52% higher among men than women. Among LAC25 countries, male mortality exceeded 300 deaths per 100 000 population in Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, Guyana, Nicaragua and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines in 2023 (Figure 3.13). Only Peru, Chile, Uruguay and Costa Rica were below the OECD average for men. Among women, rates were highest in Jamaica, Saint Kitts and Nevis, and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, while Chile had the lowest rate, alongside Peru, Uruguay, Costa Rica and Panama below the OECD female average.
Together, IHD and stroke comprise 61% of all CVD deaths in the 25 LAC countries with measured data, similar to the 56% in OECD countries (Figure 3.14). IHD deaths represent over 55% of all CVD deaths in Nicaragua, Mexico and Ecuador compared to only 36% in OECD countries. This higher proportion may be primarily explained by delays in diagnosis and limited access to reperfusion therapies or other effective treatments. In contrast, in countries such as Antigua and Barbuda and Saint Lucia, IHD account for less than 15% of all CVD deaths. The lower shares may reflect differences in lifestyle‑related factors, such as diet, population demographic, or possible underreporting. In Saint Lucia and Jamaica, cerebrovascular diseases deaths take 35% or more of all CVD deaths, while these represent 15% or less in Mexico, Nicaragua and Antigua and Barbuda. In contrast, in the 8 LAC countries with estimated data, IHD and cerebrovascular diseases deaths account for 79% of all CVD deaths, with the remaining 21% due to other cardiovascular diseases.
In LAC countries, deaths from cerebrovascular diseases are considerably lower than those from IHD, but their consequences for quality of life are often more severe. Many stroke patients report impaired quality of life due to pain and discomfort (Segerdahl et al., 2023[3]), while cardiac rehabilitation after myocardial infarction can improve both physical and mental health (Kolarczyk et al., 2024[4]). As populations age and multi-morbidity increases, timely access to cardiac care and rehabilitation will be essential to improve outcomes and quality of life for CVD patients (OECD, 2022[5]).
