“Between 2012 and 2023, a significant reduction was observed in the mortality rate from circulatory system diseases, with the proportion of deaths from these ailments reaching, in 2023, the lowest level in the past three decades,” according to the DGS.
The DGS announced a marked decrease in the mortality rate from cerebrovascular diseases and acute myocardial infarction, also known as heart attacks, between 2017 and 2023.
During these years, hospital admissions for circulatory system diseases also decreased, particularly in hospitalizations due to heart failure (the heart’s inability to pump blood in the required amount).
Throughout the same period, there was a consistent improvement in in-hospital mortality concerning acute myocardial infarction and ischemic stroke, referred to as a “mini-stroke,” which involves a temporary and short-term blockage of blood flow to the brain or spinal cord without causing permanent damage.
According to the DGS, the reduction in in-hospital mortality is associated with increased access to advanced reperfusion therapies (intervention to restore blood flow).
In primary healthcare, “significant improvements between 2015 and 2024” were recorded, such as an increased proportion of patients with controlled blood pressure and individuals with diabetes having controlled cholesterol levels.
From 2015 to 2024, primary healthcare saw a rise in smoking cessation consultations, indicating “an improvement in the control of cardiovascular risk factors,” according to the statement.
The data are released on the day the DGS organizes the event “Cerebrovascular and Cardiovascular Diseases in Portugal – Clinical and Organizational Progress in the Last Decade,” through the National Program for Cerebro-Cardiovascular Diseases, at the Fundação Cidade de Lisboa.
