Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a class of diseases that involve the heart or blood vessels,
CVD includes coronary artery diseases (CAD) such as angina and myocardial infarction
(commonly known as a heart attack. Other CVDs include stroke, heart failure, hypertensive
heart disease, rheumatic heart disease, cardiomyopathy, abnormal heart rhythms, congenital
heart disease, valvular heart disease, carditis, aortic aneurysms, peripheral artery disease,
thromboembolic disease, and venous thrombosis.
At the 65th World Health Assembly in May 2012 Ministers of Health and Senior Health Officials
from the 194 WHO member states adopted a global target to reduce premature mortality from
non-communicable diseases (NCDs), and in particular cardiovascular disease, by 25% by 2025.
The main objectives of CVD prevention are to reduce cardiovascular morbidity and mortality,
improve quality of life, and increase life expectancy.
The 52 country INTERHEART study has shown that the classical risk factors for CHD account for
most of the risk of myocardial infarction worldwide. This scientific evidence has led to
international, regional and national guidelines on CVD prevention, which define patient
priorities for preventive action and lifestyle and treatment goals
In 1994, 1998, 2003, 2007, 2012 and 2016. [3-7]. The European Society of Cardiology
together with other partner Societies has engaged in a comprehensive programme of CVD
prevention in clinical practice since 1994 with the acronym EUROASPIRE (European Action
on Secondary and Primary Prevention by Intervention to Reduce Events)
in 2012: Ministers of Health and Senior Health Officials: adopted a global target to
reduce premature mortality from non-communicable diseases (NCDs), and in particular
cardiovascular disease, by 25% by 2025.
In [2], 2013 : The 52 country INTERHEART study has shown that the classical risk factors
for CHD account for most of the risk of myocardial infarction worldwide.
The INTERASPIRE survey began when the ESC Euro Observational Research Programme decided to
expand the EUROASPIRE programme to include other WHO regions, starting with a pilot study in
Malaysia and Argentina in 2019. The main survey (2020-2022) is now being organised in
partnership with the World Heart Federation, Asia Pacific Society of Cardiology,
InterAmerican Society of Cardiology and the Pan-African Society of Cardiology and includes
selected countries in all 6 WHO regions: African Region, Region of Americas, Eastern
Mediterranean Region, European Region, South-East Asia Region, and Western Pacific Region.
This international study is being conducted through National Societies of Cardiology
which have responsibility for appointing National Coordinators, selecting geographical
regions (minimum of three) and hospital centres (minimum of 6 in each country) together
with Principal Investigators.
The study population is a consecutive sample of coronary patients from each hospital
which meet the following diagnostic criteria: Acute coronary syndromes (acute myocardial
infarction with ST elevation (STEMI) and Non ST elevation MI (Non-STEMI) and stable
coronary artery disease). Patients are interviewed and examined in hospital using
standardised methodology, including one central laboratory in Helsinki, Finland, for
measurement of fasting lipids, glucose, HbA1c, creatinine and urinary albumin, and then
followed up for hospitalisations, non-fatal and fatal cardiovascular events and all
cause mortality.
Using INTERASPIRE model to determine patients with established CHD whether the guidelines on
cardiovascular disease prevention are being followed or not with incorporation of COVID 19 as
a risk factor with the other classical risk factors to understand significance of the new
pandemic virus in mortality and morbidity of CVD and coronary events in association with the
other known classical risk factors .