Prevention & lipidsResearch article
Global trends in key modifiable cardiovascular risk factors: a joinpoint analysis across World Health Organization (WHO) regions (1990–2022)
- Descriptive trend analysis (joinpoint regression)
- WHO Global Health Observatory data
- over 190 countries
Authors' conclusion
Global trends in CVD risk factors show improvements in hypertension, tobacco use, and cholesterol, but worsening diabetes and insufficient physical activity
Study context
- Population
- Countries across WHO regions, 1990–2022over 190 countries
- Outcome
- Change in prevalence of key modifiable CVD risk factors (hypertension, tobacco use, elevated cholesterol, DM, insufficient physical activity): Annual percentage change (APC) per joinpoint segment and AAPC across the whole trend
- Follow-up
- 1990 to 2022
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
AAPC in risk-factor prevalence, by WHO region
- Hypertension: declined in most regions; greatest reduction Europe, average annual percentage change (AAPC)
- −1.54 (95% CI −1.55, −1.53)
- Hypertension: slight increase Western Pacific, AAPC
- 0.10 (95% CI 0.08, 0.12)
- Tobacco use: decreased in all regions; most in South-East Asia, AAPC (95% CI −3.56, −3.43), from 54.1% to 26.6%
- −3.50
- Total cholesterol: declined modestly in several regions; slight increase Western Pacific, AAPC
- 0.25 (95% CI 0.07, 0.43)
- DM: increased in all regions; highest Eastern Mediterranean, AAPC
- 2.58 (95% CI 2.57, 2.59)
- DM: lowest increase Africa, AAPC
- 1.58 (95% CI 1.55, 1.61)
- Insufficient physical activity: increased in five regions; Africa the only exception, AAPC
- −1.10 (95% CI −1.19, −1.01)
Original publication
Global trends in key modifiable cardiovascular risk factors: a joinpoint analysis across WHO regions (1990–2022). Eur J Prev Cardiol. Published 29 July 2026. doi:10.1093/eurjpc/zwag401
Summarised from the published abstract; every number is checked against it