Burden of Heart Disease in Today's Society

Burden of Disease (Coronary Heart Disease, Acute Coronary Syndrome and Angina Pectoris)

Prevalence:

On the basis of data from NHANES 2003 to 2006, an estimated 17,600,000 American adults age 20 and older have coronary heart disease (CHD). Total CHD prevalence is 7.9 percent in U.S. adults age 20 and older (9.1 percent for men and 7.0 percent for women).

Among U.S. adults age 20 and older, the overall prevalence of myocardial infarction (MI, or heart attack) is 3.6 percent (4.7 percent for men and 2.6 percent for women).

Incidence:

This year an estimated 785,000 Americans will have a new coronary attack and about 470,000 will have a recurrent attack. It is estimated that an additional 195,000 silent heart attacks occur each year.

The estimated annual incidence of heart attack (myocardial infarction,

MI) is 610,000 new attacks and 325,000 recurrent attacks annually.

The average age of a person having a first heart attack is 64.5 for men and 70.3 for women.

Based on the NHLBI’s Framingham Heart Study (FHS)…

– CHD makes up more than half of all cardiovascular events in men and women under age 75.

Mortality:

CHD caused about one of every six deaths in the United States in 2006. It is the largest major killer of American males and females.

Final 2006 CHD mortality was 425,425 (224,510 males, 200,915 females). CHD any mention mortality in 2006 was 587,000

Final 2006 myocardial infarction (MI) mortality was 141,462 (76,089 males, 65,373 females).

Myocardial infarction mortality in 2006 was 181,000.

About every 25 seconds, an American will suffer a coronary event, and about every minute someone will die from one.

About every 34 seconds, an American will suffer a heart attack.

In half of the cardiovascular disease deaths that occur every year, the first sign that anything is wrong are sudden cardiac arrest and death. 


Take home message: Heart Disease is the number one cause of death in today's society. In addition, it is a major cause of poor quality of life and has a huge impact on health-care associated costs. It is more than 80% preventable and hence can be mostly avoided by focusing on ways to prevent from developing it as mentioned previously.