Cardiovascular disease research output in WHO priority areas between 2002 and 2011

Approximately 17.3 million people died from cardiovascular disease (CVD) in 2008, and approximately 80% came from low- and middle-income countries. However, previous studies document poor research productivity related to CVD prevention and treatment in these countries between 1991 and 1996. The World Health Organization (WHO) developed a prioritized research agenda emphasizing research on policy development, translation of knowledge and implementation. This study assessed whether research output in priority areas increased between 2002 and 2011. It was reported that only 3–4% of papers from each year related to a priority area, and most were conducted by corresponding authors from high-income countries. Low-income countries were highly underrepresented both in terms of productivity and as the study population. However, there was a significant rise in the productivity of middle-income countries and their representation as the study population. While 30% of priority-related papers addressed a cost-effective strategy, this represents 1% of papers overall. More cost-effectiveness research is encouraged to decrease the millions of deaths per year attributed to CVD in the developing world.