In Europe, people have become less likely to die from heart disease
Last reviewed: 23.04.2024
All iLive content is medically reviewed or fact checked to ensure as much factual accuracy as possible.
We have strict sourcing guidelines and only link to reputable media sites, academic research institutions and, whenever possible, medically peer reviewed studies. Note that the numbers in parentheses ([1], [2], etc.) are clickable links to these studies.
If you feel that any of our content is inaccurate, out-of-date, or otherwise questionable, please select it and press Ctrl + Enter.
At Oxford University, a team of researchers found that in more than 10 European countries, the main cause of death is cancer, and not cardiovascular disease, as it was before. To date, the quality of medical care for cardiovascular diseases is much higher, that is why, scientists believe, the death rate from cancer has taken a leading position in European countries.
According to statistics , more than 4 million people die from cardiovascular diseases each year in Europe , but in a number of countries this indicator has decreased in recent years. Doctors say that now more males die from malignant tumors than from cardiovascular pathologies. According to the sociological center in 2011, more than 90,000 people died of cancer in France , and slightly less than 65,000 people suffered from heart and blood problems. In the UK, Spain, the Netherlands, Italy, Slovenia and other European countries, cancer mortality rates are also higher than those from heart disease and vascular system.
But in countries of Eastern Europe, as well as in countries that are not part of the European Union, the mortality from heart and vascular diseases is still on the first place.
Now the authors of the new study can not say exactly what influenced the changes in death rates in European countries, but, as mentioned at the beginning, specialists associate this with improving the quality of care for cardiovascular pathologies, developing new types of therapy, monitoring, and activities , aimed at early detection of heart problems.
The work of British scientists indicates that the problem of oncology is becoming more acute, cancer diseases can become a real plague of the 21st century, unless urgent measures are taken. Scientists from different countries are conducting research and are trying to find a means for treating cancerous tumors, for example, in the UK study at one of Dartmouth medical schools, showed that toxoplasm (the simplest intracellular parasites) help the immune system to fight malignant cells.
Now many researchers try to force the immune system of a person to fight cancer independently, but because of the so-called immune tolerance, immunity does not react to malignant cells, the tumor progresses and gradually kills the body.
In the Dartmouth medical school, during rodent tests, scientists have established that some protozoan parasites can affect the functioning of the immune system, in particular, speeding up its work. Thus, experiments have shown that toxoplasma help the body to fight various types of ovarian cancer - some rodents have lived longer, and some have completely got rid of the disease, including rodents with fairly large tumors.
This discovery may affect the treatment of cancer in the future, already now scientists have started experiments with other parasites that can help cure other types of cancer tumors, for example, listeria bacteria, scientists believe, can help cure pancreatic cancer.
[