In 2022, some 20.2% of the Swiss population reported that they have ever had a cardiovascular disease. Men (22.6%) are more frequently affected than women (17.8%), and persons who have completed only compulsory schooling (35.4%) are more commonly affected than those with an upper secondary level qualification (25.7%) or those with a tertiary level qualification (16.1%).
This indicator is part of the Monitoring System Addiction and NCD (MonAM) of the Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH).
Cardiovascular diseases are, together with cancer, the most common cause of death in Switzerland (FSO, 2024), causing much suffering and contributing to high healthcare costs. A healthy lifestyle (e. g. not smoking, healthy diet, adequate physical activity) may reduce the likelihood of developing a cardiovascular disease. As cardiovascular diseases appear much more frequently with increasing age, a surge in cases is expected in the coming years due to the ageing of the population in Switzerland (WHO, 2021).
This indicator was calculated on the basis of data from the Swiss Health Survey (SHS, n2022 ≈ 22 000) and is updated every five years.
It shows the percentage of the population aged 15 or above and living in private households who have ever had a cardiovascular disease, i.e. a heart attack or a stroke (lifetime prevalence) or are currently taking high blood pressure or heart medication.
The indicator is based on the following questions:
The indicator includes persons who answered “yes” to at least one of the health problem questions or who had taken at least one of the medications specified in the previous 7 days.
Time series break between 2017 and 2022: In 2022, heart attack and stroke were based on lifetime prevalence, while in previous years they were based on 12-month prevalence. In view of this, the data from the 2017 and 2022 surveys are not directly comparable.
Time series break between 2012 and 2017: These questions were asked in writing up until 2012, but have been asked by phone since 2017. Some of the survey questions were also reformulated. In view of this, the data from the 2012 and 2017 surveys are not directly comparable.
Further information on the questions asked in the surveys on cardiovascular diseases between 2012 and 2022 will be found in the definition of the filter for determining non-communicable diseases (NCDs).
An explanation of socio-demographic variables can be found in the document: Definition of the characteristics
Standardisation: Use the slider above the graphic to display the age and sex-standardised figures. Standardisation levels out age- and gender-specific differences in comparisons between different population groups (e.g. between cantons or educational levels) and over time. More information: Standardisation – explanation and calculation
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