Cardiovascular disease, is any of the diseases, whether congenital or acquired, of the heart and blood vessels. Among the most important are atherosclerosis, rheumatic heart disease, and vascular inflammation. Cardiovascular diseases are a major cause of health problems and death in developed countries. Life depends on the functioning of the heart; thus, the heart is involved in all death, but this does not account for its prominence in causing death.

To some degree, as medical science advances, more people are saved from other illnesses only to die from one of the unsolved and uncontrolled disorders of the cardiovascular system. Some forms of cardiovascular diseases are becoming less frequent causes of death, and continued research and preventive measures may provide even greater benefits. 

Britannica, 2015.