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Division for Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention
Addressing the Nation's Leading Killers
At A Glance
2008
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“Established in 2006, the Division for Heart Disease
and Stroke Prevention represents CDC’s public health response to our
nation’s first and third leading causes of death and major contributors to
disability, health disparities, and health care costs. Our mission is to
serve as the nation’s public health leader for achieving cardiovascular
health for all and reducing the burden and disparities in heart disease and
stroke.”
Darwin R. Labarthe, MD, MPH, PhD
Director, Division for Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention, Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention
Heart Disease and Stroke: The Nation’s Leading Killers
The Costs: Lives and Dollars
Heart disease and stroke are the most common cardiovascular diseases.
They are the first and third leading causes of death for both men and women
in the United States, accounting for more than 35% of all deaths. More than
870,000 Americans die of heart disease and stroke every year, which is about
2,400 people dying every day. Although these largely preventable conditions
are more common among older adults, more than 148,000 (17%) of Americans who
died of cardiovascular diseases in 2004 were younger than age 65 years.
Heart disease and stroke also are among the leading causes of disability in
the U.S. workforce. Nearly one million people are disabled from strokes
alone.
The burden of heart disease and stroke should not only be measured by
death and disability. More than 80 million (1 in 3) Americans currently live
with one or more types of cardiovascular disease. This figure includes 73
million people with high blood pressure, 5.8 million who have suffered a
stroke, 5.3 million with heart failure, 8.1 million who have had a heart
attack, and 9.1 million who suffer from regular chest pain (angina
pectoris). This year alone, more than 920,000 people will have a heart
attack (myocardial infarction) and an additional 780,000 will have a stroke.
In total, more than 6 million hospitalizations occur each year because of
cardiovascular diseases. Americans also make more than 81 million doctor
visits every year because of cardiovascular diseases. The cost of heart
disease and stroke in the United States is projected to be more than $448
billion in 2008, including health care expenditures and lost productivity
from death and disability. As the population ages, the economic impact of
cardiovascular diseases on our nation’s health care system will become even
greater.
The Cure: Prevention and Early Detection
Heart disease and stroke are among the most widespread and costly health
problems facing our nation today, yet they are also among the most
preventable. Leading a healthy lifestyle (avoiding tobacco, being physically
active, and eating well) greatly reduces a person’s risk of developing heart
disease or stroke. Preventing and controlling high blood pressure and high
cholesterol also can have a significant impact on cardiovascular health. For
example, researchers estimate that a 10% decrease in total cholesterol
levels in the U.S. population would translate into an estimated 30% decrease
in heart disease across the nation. Public health strategies and policies
that promote healthy living, encourage healthy environments, and promote
control of blood pressure and cholesterol levels are key to improving the
public’s health and saving lives. Ensuring that all Americans have access to
early, affordable, and appropriate treatment is also essential to reducing
disability and costs.
[A text
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CDC’s Leadership in Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention
CDC is committed to ensuring that all people, especially those at greater
risk for health disparities, will achieve their optimal lifespan with the
best possible quality of health in every stage of life. With agency-wide
health protection goals that support healthy people in healthy places across
all life stages, CDC is setting the agenda to enable people to enjoy a
healthy life by delaying death and the onset of illness and disability by
accelerating improvements in public health.
The Division for Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention is CDC’s response to
the epidemic of heart disease and stroke facing our nation. We provide
national leadership to reduce the burden of disease, disability, and death
from heart disease and stroke for all Americans. With fiscal year 2008
funding of $50.1 million, we fund state departments of health to conduct
heart disease and stroke prevention programs at state and local levels. We
also conduct public health research, develop resources, and evaluate
programs to help advance state and local efforts. The foundation of our
planning efforts is built on A Public Health Action Plan to Prevent Heart
Disease and Stroke Prevention, a landmark document created by CDC and
its national partners to guide the nation’s cardiovascular health promotion
strategies.
State Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention Programs
Through our state programs, we currently fund and support 33 State Heart
Disease and Stroke Prevention Programs, as well as the District of Columbia.
Funded states promote policy and systems-level changes to control high blood
pressure and high cholesterol in health care, work site, and community
settings.
In addition, states also work to increase awareness of the signs
and symptoms of heart attack and stroke, promote the importance of calling
911 immediately after symptoms begin, improve emergency response and quality
of care, and address health disparities among population groups at high
risk. Examples of state activities include
- Helping health care providers make system changes designed to
improve heart health outcomes—for example, increasing the number of
people who have their blood pressure under control.
- Promoting heart-healthy and stroke-free work site policies and
programs such as smoke-free workplaces and insurance coverage for
employee preventive services.
- Promoting training and standard protocols for emergency medical
service practitioners.
Through our state program, we also fund four multi-state Stroke Networks
to increase stroke awareness and enhance stroke prevention across state
lines (see map, page 1).
Paul Coverdell National Acute Stroke Registry
Through the Paul Coverdell National Acute Stroke Registry program, we
provide funding and support to state health departments to develop and
maintain data systems that collect, measure, and track hospital data to
improve the delivery and quality of care for acute stroke patients. States
use the data to identify gaps between recommended treatment guidelines and
actual hospital practice. They help hospitals make system changes to ensure
high-quality patient care. In 2007, the number of funded states was expanded
to six (Georgia, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, North Carolina, Ohio).
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CDC Helps Advance State Programs
At CDC, we conduct the following activities to support states and
communities in preventing heart disease and stroke throughout the nation:
- Evaluation. We conduct evaluation research and provide
assistance to states to evaluate and improve their programs. Of special
interest is improved evaluation of policy and system-level changes.
- Monitoring and Tracking Disease. We track data and
trends in heart disease and stroke to help states make informed program
decisions. For example, we recently published the first-ever report of
state-by-state prevalence rates for heart disease and stroke.
- Training and Technical Assistance. We provide guidance
to states on how to best apply evidence-based practices.
- Translating Science into Practice. We interpret the
science of prevention and translate it into practices and programs that
can be applied by states and communities.
- Partnerships. To improve the nation’s health, we build
partnerships with other federal agencies and national groups to promote
heart disease and stroke prevention policies and system improvements. In
2007, we worked with the Joint Commission and the American Heart
Association to standardize stroke performance measures for hospitals to
improve the quality of stroke care. These measures have reduced
duplication of effort and encouraged more hospitals to participate in
quality improvement programs.
Future Directions
The aging of the U.S. population, coupled with adverse risk factor trends
(such as increased rates of high blood pressure, obesity, and diabetes),
will make cardiovascular health promotion even more important in the years
to come. We are committed to funding and providing support to as many state
heart disease and stroke prevention programs as possible. We will also
continue our work in eliminating disparities related to cardiovascular
health among population groups at high risk. Significant gaps exist between
public health needs and the current surveillance systems that monitor and
track heart disease and stroke trends. We will forge partnerships to promote
more comprehensive heart disease and stroke surveillance systems. These
efforts will support the development of more effective and cost-efficient
public health programs.
State Programs In Action
Washington State’s Heart Disease and Stroke
Prevention Program collaborated with a state
Emergency Cardiac and Stroke Work Group to assess the
emergency medical response for heart attack and stroke
victims throughout the state. Results of this work led
to the adoption of state recommendations for enhancing
and improving prevention and care in prehospital,
emergency department, hospital, and rehabilitation
settings.
The Oregon Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention
Program promotes the Living Well chronic disease
prevention program to work sites and insurance carriers
across the state. This program has helped people learn
to manage their blood pressure and cholesterol levels
better, and has reduced their trips to the emergency
room. Because of its success, several insurance carriers
in the state now offer reimbursement for members who
participate in the Living Well program. In addition, the
state’s largest Medicaid insurance contractor is pilot
testing reimbursement for Living Well workshops.
The New York State Healthy Hearts Program
conducted a public awareness campaign in the Capital
Region of the state on the signs and symptoms of stroke
and the need to call 911 at the onset of symptoms. This
campaign led to an increase in the percentage of stroke
patients who arrived at hospitals by ambulance.
The Maine Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention
Program is working to reduce state health insurance
costs by promoting employer-sponsored health improvement
programs. As a result, a major insurance carrier in the
state is lowering premiums for small businesses (and the
self-employed) that offer health and wellness programs.
To be eligible, businesses had to increase employee
participation in activities such as health-risk
appraisals and wellness programs. This initiative was
promoted through the Maine State Chamber of Commerce and
was created as an incentive to help businesses lower
their medical costs through work site health promotion
programs. |
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For more information please contact
Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention
National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion
4770 Buford Highway NE, Mail Stop K–47, Atlanta, GA 30341-3717
Telephone: 770-488-2424 • Fax: 770-488-8151
E-mail: cdcinfo@cdc.gov • Web:
http://www.cdc.gov/dhdsp
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Page last reviewed: March 6, 2008
Page last modified: March 6, 2008
Content source: National Center for
Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion
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