Cardiovascular disease (CVD) remains the leading cause of global mortality, responsible for 19 million deaths in 2020, with projections indicating a rise to 26 million by 2030. Despite decades of medical progress, the biological complexity of heart-related conditions continues to hinder effective treatment strategies. Conditions such as hypertension, coronary artery disease, arrhythmias, and stroke exhibit significant variation between individuals due to differences in genetics, lifestyle, and environmental factors.
This variability affects how diseases manifest and respond to therapies. For example, while statins effectively lower cholesterol in many patients, they do not prevent heart attacks in all cases, highlighting the limitations of standardized treatment models. A shift toward precision medicine—delivering tailored interventions based on individual profiles—could enhance outcomes and reduce disparities in care.
A transformative approach to cardiovascular treatment involves three core innovations. First, adopting a systems-based understanding of CVD acknowledges that multiple biological processes—including inflammation, metabolism, and cellular stress—interact in complex networks. Techniques like genomics, proteomics, and other “omics” technologies allow researchers to map these interactions, revealing distinct disease subtypes and molecular patterns that explain differing patient responses.
Second, identifying novel therapeutic targets requires analyzing molecular networks to pinpoint critical control points in disease progression. These may involve genes or proteins previously overlooked, offering opportunities to address root causes rather than symptoms. By modeling how these elements function within larger biological systems, scientists can prioritize interventions with the greatest potential impact.
Third, developing targeted therapies is accelerating through advances in computational modeling and RNA-based treatments. These allow for the silencing or modification of specific genetic signals linked to CVD, including those once considered inaccessible. Early trials show RNA interference can reduce cardiovascular risk factors more effectively than conventional methods. Artificial intelligence further enhances this process by detecting patterns in clinical and biological data, predicting disease trajectories, and simulating drug behavior, thereby speeding up development and personalization.
For precision medicine to succeed globally, cross-sector collaboration and equitable access are essential. Shared data infrastructures linking molecular findings with clinical results will refine treatments over time. Partnerships between researchers, healthcare providers, and industry players can ensure discoveries translate into safe, effective therapies. However, many CVD-related deaths occur in low- and middle-income countries where diagnostics and advanced care are limited. Global coordination and inclusive funding are necessary to expand research participation and ensure diverse populations benefit from innovation.
Initiatives by organizations like the World Economic Forum aim to strengthen healthcare systems through vaccine delivery, mental health policy tools, and value-driven care models. With sustained investment and leadership, precision cardiovascular medicine could serve as a blueprint for equitable, science-driven global health advancement.
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How precision medicine can tackle cardiovascular disease
Health and Healthcare Systems n nCan precision medicine finally turn the tide on cardiovascular disease? n nNov 14, 2025 n nTransforming cardiovascular medicine requires a fundamental shift in drug discovery, development and testing. Image: Getty Images/iStockphoto n nMasanori Aikawa n nProfessor of Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital , Harvard Medical School n nThis article is part of: Centre for Health and Healthcare n nCardiovascular disease is the world’s leading cause of death, despite decades of advances in prevention and treatment. n nBiological complexity is a key factor underlying the limited progress in reducing the global cardiovascular disease burden. n nTransforming cardiovascular medicine necessitates a fundamental shift in drug discovery, development and testing. n nDespite decades of advances in prevention and treatment, cardiovascular disease (CVD) remains the world’s leading cause of death, claiming 19 million lives globally in 2020 alone. This number is projected to rise to 26 million by 2030. n nOn a global scale, the growing burden of CVD affects every region, slows economic growth and reinforces deep inequalities in healthcare access. n nBiological complexity is a major reason for the limited progress in reducing the global burden of CVD, which includes a wide range of conditions like high blood pressure, coronary artery disease, arrhythmias and stroke. n nEven within a given condition, each person’s genes, environment and lifestyle interact in unique ways. Interpatient heterogeneity extends to how CVDs develop at the cellular level, resulting in wide variation in symptoms, disease progression and response to treatment. n nFor instance, although statins are widely used and effectively lower cholesterol, they prevent heart attacks in many but not all patients, demonstrating the limits of traditional, one-size-fits-all therapies. n nPrecision cardiovascular medicine as an innovation framework n nTransforming cardiovascular medicine to meet this challenge necessitates a fundamental shift in drug discovery, development and testing. A precision medicine approach, which involves delivering the right treatment to the right patient at the right time, may improve outcomes and narrow gaps in care. n nAs outlined in this 2025 Frontiers in Science article, a precision approach to CVD requires innovation in three main areas: n n1. Gaining a systems-based understanding of CVD n nCardiovascular diseases cannot be explained by a single biological pathway. Multiple processes – spanning inflammation, metabolism and cellular stress – interact in complex ways to drive disease. A systems medicine perspective views CVD as the result of disturbances across interconnected networks of genes, proteins and cells, rather than isolated defects in a single pathway. n n“Omics” approaches are scientific techniques that provide a comprehensive way to investigate systems-level complexity. By capturing detailed molecular activity across tissues and linking it to disease traits, omics can reveal how biological factors interact to shape disease, and how these interactions differ between patients. n nOmics studies demonstrate that cardiovascular disease involves far greater biological diversity than previously recognized, driven by multiple pathways and cell populations. Even a single cell type, such as macrophages in atherosclerotic plaques, can contain multiple subsets with distinct roles in disease development – including highly inflammatory cells that may promote arterial damage. n nIntegrating data from such studies is helping us define subtypes of disease and uncover molecular “signatures” that can help explain why patients with the same diagnosis may experience different outcomes or responses to treatment. n n2. Identifying new therapeutic targets n nUnderstanding molecular networks can reveal where intervention will be most effective, highlighting critical control points that determine how disease pathways interact. These control points are often genes or proteins not previously recognized as central to disease progression. n nMapping molecular connections helps drive the development of therapies that act on the root causes of cardiovascular disease rather than its symptoms. n nBy tracing the functions of these control points within broader biological networks, we can identify which mechanisms to target for the greatest therapeutic impact, and how multiple pathways might be modulated together for better outcomes. n n3. Developing novel precision therapies n nThis innovation paradigm is already giving rise to a new generation of therapies tailored to the diverse biological mechanisms that define CVD. n nAdvances in computational modelling enable researchers to simulate how potential drugs interact with their targets before moving to laboratory or patient testing, improving both efficiency and safety. n nLoading… n nAmong the most promising developments are RNA-based therapeutics, which can be designed to silence or modify specific genetic messages – including those that produce cardiovascular disease-related proteins once thought to be “undruggable” due to their structure or cellular inaccessibility. n nRNA therapies may be faster to develop than traditional drugs, and early studies have demonstrated their effectiveness. For example, in some patients, RNA-interference therapy has been shown to lower cholesterol and other cardiovascular risk factors more effectively than standard treatments. n nArtificial intelligence (AI) accelerates each piece of this paradigm. By recognizing patterns in large biological and clinical datasets, AI can predict disease progression, cluster patients by underlying mechanisms and model how potential drugs will behave in the body. n nAI can thus shorten development timelines and support the design of bespoke therapies matched to specific disease mechanisms. n nBuilding an equitable global framework to tackle cardiovascular disease n nThe success of precision cardiovascular medicine depends on strong collaboration across sectors and borders – linking discovery, data infrastructure and patient care in a continuous global effort. n nShared data systems that connect molecular findings with clinical outcomes will be key to refining therapies as evidence grows. Partnerships among scientists, companies and healthcare systems can ensure that promising discoveries are translated efficiently into safe and effective treatments. n nDiscover n nWhat is the World Economic Forum doing to improve healthcare systems? n nThe Global Health and Strategic Outlook 2023 highlighted that there will be an estimated shortage of 10 million healthcare workers worldwide by 2030. n nThe World Economic Forum’s Centre for Health and Healthcare works with governments and businesses to build more resilient, efficient and equitable healthcare systems that embrace new technologies. n nLearn more about our impact: n nGlobal vaccine delivery: Our contribution to COVAX resulted in the delivery of over 1 billion COVID-19 vaccines and our efforts in launching Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, has helped save more than 13 million lives over the past 20 years. n nDavos Alzheimer’s Collaborative: Through this collaborative initiative, we are working to accelerate progress in the discovery, testing and delivery of interventions for Alzheimer’s – building a cohort of 1 million people living with the disease who provide real-world data to researchers worldwide. n nMental health policy: In partnership with Deloitte, we developed a comprehensive toolkit to assist lawmakers in crafting effective policies related to technology for mental health. n nGlobal Coalition for Value in Healthcare: We are fostering a sustainable and equitable healthcare industry by launching innovative healthcare hubs to address ineffective spending on global health. In the Netherlands, for example, it has provided care for more than 3,000 patients with type 1 diabetes and enrolled 69 healthcare providers who supported 50,000 mothers in Sub-Saharan Africa. n nUHC2030 Private Sector Constituency: This collaboration with 30 diverse stakeholders plays a crucial role in advocating for universal health coverage and emphasizing the private sector’s potential to contribute to achieving this ambitious goal. n nWant to know more about our centre’s impact or get involved? Contact us. n nAn equitable transformation demands global health policy leadership and sustained investment. Many cardiovascular deaths occur in low- and middle-income countries, where access to diagnostics and advanced care remains limited. n nWorldwide coordination and equitable funding are needed to strengthen infrastructure, train healthcare professionals and expand participation in research so that genetic and clinical data represent the world’s full diversity. n nBuilding equity into innovation may allow precision medicine to finally turn the tide on CVD. 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