By using this site, you agree to the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.
Accept
Health Works CollectiveHealth Works CollectiveHealth Works Collective
  • Health
    • Mental Health
    Health
    Healthcare organizations are operating on slimmer profit margins than ever. One report in August showed that they are even lower than the beginning of the…
    Show More
    Top News
    UV damage to eyes
    Warning Signs of Long-Term UV Damage to Your Eyes
    December 9, 2021
    degree for healthcare job
    The Ultimate Healthcare Recruiting and Staffing Guidebook
    March 21, 2022
    medicare part d benefits
    Everything that You Need to Know About Medicare Part D
    August 15, 2022
    Latest News
    Choosing the Right Supplement Manufacturer for Your Brand
    May 1, 2025
    Engineering Temporary Hospitals for Extreme Weather
    April 24, 2025
    How a Level 3 RQF Helps in Health and Social Care
    April 9, 2025
    Breathing Easy: The Impact of Air Conditioning on Indoor Air Quality and Health
    April 6, 2025
  • Policy and Law
    • Global Healthcare
    • Medical Ethics
    Policy and Law
    Get the latest updates about Insurance policies and Laws in the Healthcare industry for different geographical locations.
    Show More
    Top News
    Spreading the Health Care Cost Pain to the Elderly
    September 9, 2017
    Employer-Sponsored Insurance after Health Reform
    April 21, 2011
    How Employers Plan to Respond to the New Health Reform Law
    May 24, 2011
    Latest News
    The Backbone of Successful Trials: Clinical Data Management
    April 28, 2025
    Advancing Your Healthcare Career through Education and Specialization
    April 16, 2025
    Do Abuse Reporting Systems in Assisted Living Protect Residents’ Health?
    April 15, 2025
    Why Legal Help Is Crucial for Families Affected by Birth Injuries
    April 8, 2025
  • Medical Innovations
  • News
  • Wellness
  • Tech
Search
© 2023 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Reading: Many Deaths from Heart Disease, Stroke Are Avoidable
Share
Notification Show More
Font ResizerAa
Health Works CollectiveHealth Works Collective
Font ResizerAa
Search
Follow US
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
© 2023 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Health Works Collective > Specialties > Cardiology > Many Deaths from Heart Disease, Stroke Are Avoidable
CardiologySpecialtiesWellness

Many Deaths from Heart Disease, Stroke Are Avoidable

CWSonline
Last updated: September 8, 2013 8:00 am
CWSonline
Share
7 Min Read
avoidable deaths from heart disease
SHARE

About 800,000 people die each year from cardiovascular disease. But as many as 200,000 of the deaths from heart disease and stroke could be prevented if people made healthy changes including stopping smoking, maintaining a healthy weight, doing more physical activity, eating less salt and managing their high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes, says a government report out today.

About 800,000 people die each year from cardiovascular disease. But as many as 200,000 of the deaths from heart disease and stroke could be prevented if people made healthy changes including stopping smoking, maintaining a healthy weight, doing more physical activity, eating less salt and managing their high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes, says a government report out today.

avoidable deaths from heart disease

Although the rate of death (deaths per 100,000 people) from cardiovascular disease declined by 29% between 2001 and 2010, it’s still the leading cause of death in the USA, says the report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). It accounts for one in three deaths in this country.

More Read

Concierge Medicine – Is it Ethical or Elitist?
Health Accountability Coach: Your Partner for Lasting Wellness
Adapting to Millennials with Health Care Technology
Infographic: Effects of Hepatitis C On the Body
Five Ways to Banish Gym Apathy for Life

“These findings are really striking because we are talking about hundreds of thousands of deaths that don’t have to happen when they happen,” says Thomas Frieden, director of the CDC.

For the latest analysis, CDC researchers looked at National Vital Statistics System mortality data from the period 2001-2010.

Preventable/avoidable deaths were defined as all deaths from heart disease and stroke in people under age 75 because if their risk factors (smoking, blood pressure, high cholesterol, obesity, physical inactivity) had been under control they should have lived longer, says the lead author Linda Schieb, a CDC epidemiologist. The current life expectancy in the USA is age 78 so if people died sooner than that it is considered early or premature, she says.

• About 56% of preventable deaths from cardiovascular disease (112,000 deaths) in 2010 occurred in people under 65 years old. That number remained about the same between 2001 and 2010.

• The number of preventable deaths from heart disease and stroke decreased by 25% between 2001 and 2010 for people ages 65 to 74.

• Still, the highest overall death rate from cardiovascular disease was in the 65-74 age group with 401.5 deaths from cardiovascular disease per 100,000 people.

• Men have the highest risk of death from heart disease and stroke across all races and ethnic groups. Black men are most at risk.

• Blacks are nearly twice as likely as whites to die early from heart disease and stroke.

• Compared with whites, blacks have a higher prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors including high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, obesity, physical inactivity, low consumption of fruit and vegetables and poor control of bad (LDL) cholesterol.

• Rates of preventable death from heart disease and stroke are highest in the South.

It’s unfortunate that your longevity may be influenced more by your “ZIP code” than “genetic code,” Frieden says.

He says preventable death rates may decrease when more people have health coverage and access to screening and treatment through the Affordable Care Act.

“This report shows we’re making some improvements, but we’re not making enough improvements especially for people at high risk such as black men and women,” says preventive cardiologist Gina Lundberg, an assistant professor of medicine at the Emory University School of Medicine in Atlanta.

“Americans need to take better control of their health and be more aggressive in controlling their blood pressure, their cholesterol, their weight, their exercise habits — and to stop smoking,” she says.

Cardiologist Mariell Jessup, president of the American Heart Association, says the biggest barriers to success in changing this trend are projected increases in obesity and type 2 diabetes, and only modest improvements in diet and physical activity. “Despite progress in smoking, high cholesterol and high blood pressure rates, obesity and diabetes are on the rise and must be addressed for heart disease and stroke deaths to drop 20% by 2020, a major American Heart Association goal.”

The CDC recommends:

• You should have a conversation with a health care provider about using aspirin when appropriate, controlling blood pressure, managing your cholesterol, and quitting smoking.

• If you don’t smoke, don’t start. If you do smoke, get help to quit.

• Try going for a brisk 10-minute walk, three times a day, five days a week.

• Eat a heart-healthy diet, high in fruits and vegetables and low in sodium and trans fats.

• Work to maintain a healthy weight.

• Know the signs and symptoms of heart attack and stroke and get help as needed.

According to the American Heart Association, most heart attacks involve discomfort in the center of the chest that lasts more than a few minutes, or that goes away and comes back. It can feel like uncomfortable pressure, squeezing, fullness or pain. Symptoms can include pain or discomfort in one or both arms, the back, neck, jaw or stomach. It may include shortness of breath with or without chest discomfort. Other signs may include breaking out in a cold sweat, nausea or light-headedness.

The heart association says that signs of a stroke include face drooping, arm weakness or numbness and speech difficulty.

For more information, go to heart.org/warningsigns.

(heart health / shutterstock)

Share This Article
Facebook Copy Link Print
Share

Stay Connected

1.5kFollowersLike
4.5kFollowersFollow
2.8kFollowersPin
136kSubscribersSubscribe

Latest News

health effects of poor sleep
The Overlooked Health Cost of Poor Sleep
Wellness
May 7, 2025
medication suppliers
Choosing the Right Supplement Manufacturer for Your Brand
Health
May 1, 2025
importance of oral health
Understanding the Link Between Oral and Overall Health
Dental health Specialties
May 1, 2025
The Backbone of Successful Trials: Clinical Data Management
Global Healthcare
April 28, 2025

You Might also Like

How to Effectively Treat and Build a Relationship With Patients Who Have Eating Disorders

August 26, 2016

5 Tips for Keeping New Year’s Resolutions

January 6, 2013
health suppliments
HealthPharmaceuticalsWellness

Experience Life in a Better Way by Experimenting with Supplements!

November 15, 2022
impact of medical imaging technology in dentistry
Dental healthSpecialtiesTechnology

Recent Advances In Imaging Technologies In Dentistry

March 21, 2022
Subscribe
Subscribe to our newsletter to get our newest articles instantly!
Follow US
© 2008-2025 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
Welcome Back!

Sign in to your account

Username or Email Address
Password

Lost your password?