Cardiovascular Disease

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Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a broad term covering a family of diseases linked by common risk factors and caused by atherosclerosis. These diseases include coronary heart disease, myocardial infarctions, heart failure, stroke, hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, diabetes, chronic kidney disease, peripheral artery disease, vascular dementia, and others included in ICD10 codes 100-199. CVD is the leading cause of death throughout the world, accounting for more than 17.5 million deaths in 2012; 31% of all global deaths [1]; more deaths than all forms of cancer combined. In 2013, CVD was the underlying cause of death for over 800,900 deaths, approximately 31% of all deaths in the United States [2]. In 2013 the overall attributable death …show more content…

CVD is the leading cause of death in both women and men over the age of 65. CVD is both a huge burden on the health care system and a huge economic burden. From 2011 to 2012, the average annual direct and indirect cost of CVD in the United States was estimated at $316.6 billion [2]. These costs included direct costs of physicians, hospitals, medication and health care, estimated at $193.1 billion, as well as the indirect costs of lost productivity and mortality, estimated at $123.5 billion [2]. Projections for 2030 indicate that 43.9% of the US population will have some form of CVD and total costs associated with CVD will increase to more than $1.2 trillion [2]. From 1979 to 2011 the US saw a large decline in deaths attributable to CVD; mortality rates dropped 52% in men and 49% in women between 1980 …show more content…

Ford et al found that that 47% of the decrease was due to improved treatment and therapies, including secondary preventive treatments, initial treatment of myocardial infarctions, heart failure treatments and others [4]. Forty-four percent of the decline was due to changes in risk factors; reductions in total cholesterol, systolic blood pressure and smoking, along with increased physical activity [4]. The most consistent declines were in adults ≥65 years of age between 1979 and 1989. However, three subsequent decades showed little change in the mortality rates. This was especially true in both men and women between the ages of 35-54. While there are fewer studies of younger people and younger women are particularly underrepresented, it is possible that one of the mechanisms contributing to the sluggish decline of CVD mortality in this group is due to increased risk factors. Atherosclerosis is an underlying cause of CVD; preventing atherosclerosis by reducing risk factors may prevent 90% of all CVD. Exercise, weight loss, healthy eating, limited alcohol consumption, the avoidance of smoking, treatment of hypertension and diabetes are all beneficial in the prevention

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