This year's scientific sessions at the American Heart Association's (AHA) annual meeting were unique in several ways. The conference gathered 23 000 cardiologists and neurologists from more than 100 countries, who saw a neurologist apointed as the AHA's President for the first time in its history. The theme of the meeting was "One World, One Mission, Your Specialty", focusing on the global burden of cardiovascular disease and stroke, cardiovascular health inequalities, and individual responsibility.The meeting emphasised that 30% of all global deaths are attributable to cardiovascular diseases. This year cardiovascular diseases will kill 18.1 million people, 80% of whom live in low-income and middle-income countries. Stroke is the second leading cause of death globally, and the leading cause of acquired disability, killing 5.7 million people every year, of whom 85% live in the developing world. Today, 1.3 billion people smoke worldwide, 600 million have hypertension, and 220 million live with diabetes-which puts more than 2 billion individuals at risk of heart disease, stroke, or a related health problem.
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