Cardiovascular diseases are a leading cause of death worldwide. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), cardiovascular diseases, which are a group of disorders of the heart and blood vessels and include coronary heart disease, cerebrovascular disease, rheumatic heart disease and other conditions, claim an estimated 17.9 million lives each year. More than 85% of CVD deaths are due to heart attacks and strokes, and one-third of these deaths occur prematurely in people under 70 years of age.