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Preventing Heart Disease and Stroke
The Reality
- Heart disease and stroke are the first and third leading causes of
death in the United States, accounting for nearly 35% of all deaths.
- More than 1,357,000 Americans die of cardiovascular diseases each
year, which amounts to one death every 37 seconds.
- More than 80 million Americans (almost one third of the population)
have some form of cardiovascular disease, which is responsible for more
than 6 million hospitalizations each year.
- Much of the burden of heart disease and stroke could be eliminated
by reducing its major risk factors: high blood pressure, high blood
cholesterol, tobacco use, diabetes, physical inactivity, and poor
nutrition.
- About 90% of middle-aged Americans will develop high blood pressure
in their lifetime. Nearly 65% of those with high blood pressure do not
have it under control.
- In 2005, more than 106 million people were told that they had total
blood cholesterol levels that were high (200 mg/dL or higher).
- The rate of death from cardiovascular diseases among African
Americans is nearly twice that among whites.
The Cost of Heart Disease and Stroke
- In 2008, the cost of heart disease and stroke in the United States
is projected to exceed $448.5 billion; $296.4 billion for health care
expenditures and $152.1 billion for lost productivity from death and
disability.
- In 2008, $69.4 billion in health care spending was attributed to
high blood pressure.
- In 2001, the cost of hospitalization for cardiovascular problems
among Medicare beneficiaries topped $29 billion.
Reducing Risk Factors for Heart Disease Saves Lives and Money
- Reducing systolic (the number above the line in a reading, as in
120/80) blood pressure just 12–13 mm Hg over 4 years can reduce:
- Coronary heart disease by 21%.
- Stroke by 37%.
- Cardiovascular disease deaths by 25%.
- Overall deaths by 13%.
- Reducing serum cholesterol levels by 10% can reduce the number of
heart attacks and stroke by 30%.
- U.S. adults substantially lowered their blood pressure, high
cholesterol levels, and other heart disease risk factors during the
1980s. As a result, U.S. costs associated with coronary heart disease
declined by an estimated 9%—from about $240 billion in 1981 to about
$220 billion in 1990.
![Heart Disease Death Rates by County Adults Aged 35 Years and Older, 2000-2004](images/dhdsp_map.gif)
(A text
version of this map is also available.)
Effective Strategies
- Community health centers and other health care settings need to have
systems in place that will improve the quality of care that high-risk
patients receive. For example, community health centers and private
clinics and doctors’ offices can use electronic reminder messages to
alert doctors of patients’ follow-up needs. In Utah, community
health centers have used such a system to substantially increase the
proportion of patients who have their blood pressure under control.
Before the system was in place, 33% of patients had their blood pressure
under control; just 6 months after the centers began using the system,
58% of patients had controlled their blood pressure.
- Work sites are an ideal place to promote the cardiovascular health
of millions of people. For example, employers can offer health
screenings and follow-up services to help employees control their blood
pressure and cholesterol levels. These services are proven effective in
the workplace. In addition, employees can be trained to recognize and
respond to the signs of a heart attack and stroke. Another strategy is
for work sites to offer adequate insurance coverage for health services
that aim to prevent heart disease and stroke.
- Educating the public about signs of a heart attack and stroke and
the importance of calling 911 quickly is an important step to improving
the chances for survival and minimizing the damage that can occur
following a heart attack or stroke. Research indicates that 47% of
deaths from heart attack occur before a person can be admitted to a
hospital, and about 48% of stroke victims die before emergency medical
personnel arrive. Only 27% of adults in this country know both the signs
of a heart attack and the importance of immediately calling 911.
- Other strategies to reduce people’s risk for heart disease and
stroke are:
- Avoid tobacco use.
- Eat healthier foods.
- Control diabetes.
- Be more physically active.
Hope for the Future
Preventing and controlling major risk factors for heart disease and
stroke are critical to achieving a heart-healthy and stroke-free
America. Health agencies at the federal, state, and local levels are
working to reduce these risk factors and to eliminate disparities in
health and in the delivery of health care services.
Whether you are a citizen, health care provider, employer, school
administrator, or elected official, there are things you can do to improve
the health of your heart. For suggestions, check out CDC’s Moving Into
Action, available at http://www.cdc.gov/dhdsp/library/moving_into_action/index.htm.
State Programs in Action
Maine
Employer Prevention Incentives
Employers are a principal source of health insurance in the
United States and are important in promoting prevention strategies.
Because of this, state Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention programs
work to promote policies that encourage increased health promotion
and access to prevention services offered through work sites.
For example, the Maine Chamber of Commerce joined a large state
health insurer to partner with the Maine Heart Disease and Stroke
Prevention program and the Maine Council for Worksite Wellness to
launch a health promotion incentive program. Through this program,
participating small businesses (2–50 employees) and self-employed
Chamber members were eligible for a 2% annual insurance premium
reduction if they increased employee participation in certain work
site health promotion activities such as health risk appraisals.
Reducing health care costs and promoting health care management in
the workplace is a win-win for all parties including employers,
employees, and their insurance carriers. This new program
demonstrated the impact that state Heart Disease and Stroke
Prevention programs can have on promoting employer-based preventive
health insurance coverage and increasing employee health promotion
work site programs.
For more information and references supporting these facts, please
visit www.cdc.gov/nccdphp.
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Department of
Health and Human Services
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention |
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Page last reviewed: August 27, 2008
Page last modified: August 27, 2008
Content source: National Center for
Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion
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