Cardiovascular disease, which includes heart attacks and strokes, has been one of the leading causes of death worldwide for decades. In many countries its death rate has fallen massively since the 1950s. The decline reflects a combination of factors, including reduced smoking, better control of blood pressure and cholesterol, improved emergency care, and effective treatments such as statins and stents. Progress has not been uniform, and rates remain high in some regions where risk factors are common and care is harder to access. The long-term trend is one of the great public health achievements of the modern era.

Hampi is a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Karnataka, India, with more than 1,600 surviving remains spread over 4,100 hectares. It was the capital of the Vijayanagara Empire from 1336 to 1565. Travellers from Persia and Portugal described it as a prosperous, wealthy and grand city with temples, markets and farms along the Tungabhadra River. By 1500 it was estimated to be the world's second-largest city after Beijing, and probably India's richest at the time. In 1565 a coalition of Muslim sultanates defeated the Vijayanagara Empire, its capital was conquered and destroyed, and the city was left in ruins. Hampi remains a religious centre, with the active Virupaksha Temple at its heart.