The importance of drug discovery for treatment of cardiovascular diseases.

Cardiovascular disease is the main cause of death across the world, accounting for approximately one third of all fatalities annually. This equates to approximately 17 million people dying each year from coronary heart disease and stroke in particular, as well as peripheral arterial disease and aortic disease [101]. In the UK coronary heart disease and stroke combined lead to approximately 131,000 deaths per year, or, on average, one death every 4 min [102,103]. Furthermore, projections indicate that cardiovascular disease will kill nearly 25 million people globally by 2030, maintaining its position as the leading cause of death. In addition to morbidity, cardiovascular disease impacts upon the quality of life of an even greater number people. For example, more than 1 million women and 1.6 million men in the UK have coronary heart disease [103], which can leave them feeling ill, tired and short of breath, which, in turn, greatly limits their ability to carry out everyday activities and live a full, normal life.