Every 72 seconds, a person dies of cardiovascular disease in Brazil. That amounts to 1,194 deaths per day, roughly 50 per hour, according to data from the Brazilian Society of Cardiology (SBC) released on Thursday (8) and detailed by G1, so far the only outlet to report the figures. In 2026 alone, the country had recorded 334,898 deaths from these causes by 11 a.m. on Thursday. The numbers were presented at the 81st Brazilian Congress of Cardiology, held in Rio de Janeiro alongside the World Congress of Cardiology.

Alongside the observed data, the SBC presented a projection, and the distinction matters. If the trends of the past two decades hold, annual deaths could rise 10.8% by 2030, from 417,550 recorded in 2024 to 462,573 by the end of the decade. Cardiologist Antonio Luiz Pinho Ribeiro, coordinator of the society's new statistics platform, stresses that this is a likely scenario, not a fixed forecast. Shifts in risk factors, access to diagnosis and treatment, and even the quality of death records can change the outcome.

"The forecast does not determine exactly what the level will be in 2030, especially if there are significant changes in the prevalence of risk factors, in expanded access to diagnosis and treatment, and in the implementation of public prevention policies," Ribeiro said.

What has improved over 20 years

One consolidated figure offsets the projection: the age-standardized cardiovascular mortality rate fell 36% in two decades, from 306.4 deaths per 100,000 inhabitants in the 2000s to 195 per 100,000 in 2024. Age standardization allows fair comparisons across periods without distortion from the aging population. For cardiologist Luiz Aparecido Bortolotto, of the Heart Institute (InCor) in Sao Paulo, the decline is mainly due to earlier identification and treatment of heart attacks and strokes in urgent care units (known as UPAs, walk-in emergency facilities within Brazil's public health system) and emergency services, which reduces complications.

The weak point, according to Bortolotto, remains prevention. Among the risk factors that most contribute to cardiovascular disease, he cites high blood pressure, diabetes, high cholesterol, smoking, obesity and stress.

"Unfortunately, prevention through the control of the main risk factors is not adequate and is far from ideal," the cardiologist said.

At the congress, the SBC also announced the launch of a platform compiling statistics on cardiovascular mortality, incidence, prevalence and risk factors in the country. The society lists the following measures as essential to keep mortality falling:

• Control of high blood pressure, diabetes and high cholesterol;
• Reduction of smoking;
• Fighting obesity and sedentary lifestyles;
• Expanding access to diagnosis and treatment;
• Timely care for heart attack and stroke patients.

In practical terms, the specialists' guidance starts with simple tests. High blood pressure, diabetes and high cholesterol usually cause no symptoms, and Bortolotto notes they must be monitored anyway. Checking blood pressure regularly, keeping glucose and cholesterol tests up to date and taking the results to a primary care clinic are steps that allow these factors to be treated before they trigger a heart attack or stroke. In case of intense chest pain, sudden shortness of breath or stroke signs such as weakness on one side of the body or slurred speech, the recommendation is to seek emergency care immediately, since early treatment is precisely what has been saving lives in Brazil.