Cardiovascular Health in Low- and Middle-Income Countries

The American Heart Association has defined cardiovascular health (CVH) through 7 metrics, including 3 health behaviors (tobacco use, diet, and physical activity) and 4 health factors (body weight, blood pressure, blood cholesterol, and blood glucose). Although the American Heart Association has championed the measurement, monitoring, and messaging of CVH through its goal to improve the CVH of all Americans by 20% by 2020, the current state of CVH in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) has not been well documented. In this review, the author discuss (1) definition of CVH, (2) methods of measuring and monitoring CVH in LMICs, (3) recent trends in CVH metrics in LMICs, and (4) strategies to improve CVH in LMICs.