Epidemiology. Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the most common cause of death globally: an estimated 17.5 million people died from CVD in 2012, representing 31% of all global deaths. Of these deaths, an estimated 7.4 million were due to coronary heart disease and 6.7 million were due to stroke. Consistent evidences suggest that a large proportion of CVD incidence could be prevented by lifestyle modifications.