Heart Disease is the #1 Killer of Americans

Learn about the procedures and treatments that can lead to  better heart health.

Millions of Americans live with cardiovascular disease and coronary heart disease.  Many are undiagnosed, due to lack of visiting a physician.  Heart disease is treatable and manageable.  Unfortunately, many of the symptoms are ignored by the patient.  Patients need to understand heart disease, in order to appreciate its seriousness. 

Help yourself.  While you may not know all the symptoms for coronary heart disease, your physician can help you understand.  Don’t assume that your symptoms are a result getting older.  They may be a sign of something much more serious.

Heart disease by the numbers-*

• 81,100,000 people in the United States have one or more forms of cardiovascular disease (CVD).
  
  

• 1 of every 2.9 deaths, 831,272 Americans, were caused by CVD.
  
  
  • Compared this to all forms of cancer- 559,888
• Coronary heart disease caused 425,425 deaths in 2006 and is the single leading cause of death in America today

• 73,600,000 people have high blood pressure.

• Coronary artery disease— 17,600,000.
  
  
  • Myocardial infarction (mi"o-KAR'de-al in-FARK'shun) (acute heart attack) — 8,500,000.
  • Angina pectoris (AN'jih-nah or an-JI'nah PEK'tor-is) (chest pain or discomfort caused by reduced blood supply to the heart muscle) — 10,200,000.
    
    

• 5,800,000 have heart failure

• 17,600,000 people alive today have a history of heart attack or angina pectoris

• 10 year death rate averages have declined close to 35%

*2006 figures

Sources: NCHS, NHLBI

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