Heart disease still number-one killer in US

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Heart disease still number-one killer in US

By Emma Hitt, PhD

NEW YORK, Dec 31 (Reuters Health) - Cardiovascular disease remains the

leading cause of death in the US, according to a report released Monday

by the American Heart Association (AHA).

The AHA estimates that 61,800,000 Americans have cardiovascular disease,

which can include high blood pressure, coronary heart disease (heart

attack and chest pain), stroke, birth defects of the heart and blood

vessels, and congestive heart failure.

According to the report, 50 million Americans have high blood pressure,

12.6 million have coronary heart disease and 4.6 million have suffered

stroke. Overall, slightly more females than males have cardiovascular

disease.

Cardiovascular disease kills more Americans than the next seven causes

combined--including cancer--the AHA report states.

" The most surprising finding is that heart disease and stroke numbers

are not going down, " Dr. Faxon, president of the AHA, told Reuters

Health. " For many years, they did, but now we are seeing a leveling off,

and in fact, we are seeing an increase in some groups such as

African-American women. "

According to Faxon, reasons for the leveling off in numbers include the

aging of the population and the " growing problem " of diabetes and

obesity, both of which greatly increase heart disease risk.

In 1999, the most recent year for which data is available,

cardiovascular disease deaths totaled nearly 1 million--equivalent to 1

death every 33 seconds--and accounted for 40% of all deaths that year.

The new report also states that caring for people with cardiovascular

disease costs billions of dollars and will get more expensive.

Cardiovascular disease-related costs for 2001 were estimated at $298.2

billion and are expected to rise to $329.2 billion in 2002.

" The majority of the cost is for inpatient hospitalization so anything

that prevent the disease and complications and the need for

rehospitalization can reduce cost, " Faxon said.

He pointed out that medication and lifestyle changes can have powerful

benefits for people with heart disease. " For instance, taking a

beta-blocker, an ACE inhibitor or statin after a heart attack

dramatically reduces the chance of another heart attack or death, " he

said.

According to Faxon, lifestyle changes have the greatest effect on

preventing death and disease associated with cardiovascular disease.

" While we have made modest effects on smoking and cholesterol awareness,

we are losing ground in high blood pressure awareness, " he added.

" Both men and women need to stop smoking, eat right, exercise and know

their blood pressure and cholesterol and keep them at target levels, " he

advised.