The number of patients eligible for cardiovascular therapies is increasing quickly, and, as in the developed pharmaceutical markets, is primarily driven by increases in prevalence in diabetes and obesity, trends that do not appear likely to diminish over the period 2004-10. The number of cardiovascular disease sufferers is increasing as a result of the increasing prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors, although rising spending on pharmaceuticals, particularly in dyslipidemia and thrombosis, is improving the primary incidence and the mortality associated with acute thrombotic events. Dyslipidemia is the most common cardiovascular risk factor with an estimated prevalence rate of 34.8% in 2004 across the twelve Eastern European markets, or 99m individuals. Hypertension is the second most common cardiovascular risk factor in the twelve Eastern European markets. In 2004, the prevalence of hypertension in Eastern Europe was estimated at 16.4% or 47m individuals. The prevalence of diabetes is forecast to become increasingly significant in the epidemiology of cardiovascular disease. The prevalence rate of diabetes in the twelve Eastern European markets was estimated at 9.3% during 2004, but is forecast to increase to 9.7% in 2010. 38m cases of cardiovascular disease were estimated to be affect the regional population in 2004, with angina and peripheral artery disease estimated to be the most prevalent diseases with incidences of 11m and 19m cases respectively in 2004.