Objective: to estimate the burden of cardiovascular diseases in Santa Catarina State, Brazil.
Methods: this is an ecological study with the nine health macroregions of the state as units of analysis; the number of years of life lost, the number of years lived with disability and the number disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) for 2009 were estimated.
Results: a total of 358,777 DALYs were estimated, with a rate of 5,852 DALYs/100,000 inhabitants, 51.1% in males; age groups with the highest rates were 45-59, 60-69, and 70-79 years; diseases that most contributed to the DALYs were ischemic heart diseases and cerebrovascular diseases; health regions with the highest DALYs rates were Planalto Norte, Sul and Serra Catarinense.
Conclusion: the high burden of cardiovascular diseases in Santa Catarina shows the need to intensify actions of health promotion and prevention in all regions of the state.