Cardiovascular Disease
Heart disease was the leading cause of death in the United States in 2005, and stroke was the third most common cause. Deaths due to these two deadly cardiovascular diseases declined in Virginia between 2000 and 2005, and state intervention is targeting further decreases.
Why is This Important?
More than 910,000 Americans die of cardiovascular diseases each year -- that's one death every 35 seconds. The economic impact of cardiovascular diseases on our nation's health care system continues to grow as the population ages.
How is Virginia Doing?
Virginia's death rate from diseases of the circulatory system has fallen every year since 2000. After adjusting for differences in age, there were 271 deaths per 100,000 people in Virginia and 279 in the nation in 2005, giving Virginia the 26th lowest rate in the nation. Minnesota had the lowest age-adjusted rate at 208 per 100,000. Virginia's rate has consistently been lower than North Carolina, Tennessee and Maryland, which in 2005 had rates of 287, 330 and 284, respectively.
In 2007, the Northern, Central and Valley regions of Virginia had the lowest age-adjusted death rate for major cardiovascular disease, with 185, 241, and 245 deaths per 100,000 people, respectively. Southside had the highest rate in 2007, with 317 deaths per 100,000 people.
What Influences Cardiovascular Disease?
High blood pressure and high blood cholesterol are the two main risk factors for cardiovascular disease. Other risk factors include diabetes, tobacco use, physical inactivity, poor nutrition, and obesity.
What is the State's Role?
The state can help educate the public about the importance of disease prevention through regular check-ups. The state can also assist by giving health care practitioners timely updates in guidelines for treating patients at risk for cardiovascular disease.
Additional measures recommended by the Centers for Disease Control include:
- establishing policies for emergency medical services to treat stroke as an emergency
- raising awareness of the signs and symptoms of heart attack and stroke and the need to call 911 immediately
- helping hospitals make systems changes that will help them adhere to national guidelines and recommendations for victims of heart disease and strokes.
Data and Definitions
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Health Statistics. CDC WONDER On-line Database. Accessed at wonder.cdc.gov/cmf-icd10.html on July 1, 2008.
State-level data:
- Cardiovascular deaths (categories I00-I99)
includes deaths of the circulatory system:
Acute rheumatic fever, Chronic rheumatic heart diseases, Hypertensive diseases, Ischaemic heart diseases, Pulmonary heart disease and diseases of pulmonary circulation, Other forms of heart disease, Cerebrovascular diseases, Diseases of arteries, arterioles and capillaries, Diseases of veins, lymphatic vessels and lymph nodes, not elsewhere classified, Other and unspecified disorders of the circulatory system.
Regional Data:
- Deaths include major
cardiovascular diseases,
categories I00-I78,
which excludes Other
and unspecified
disorders of the
circulatory system.
Virginia Center for Health Statistics; City County Profiles
www.vdh.state.va.us/healthstats/stats.asp - Population data provided by Bridged-Race
Census population
prepared by NCHS:
http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/about/major/dvs/popbridge/popbridge.htm, - Regional age-adjusted rates computed by the Weldon Cooper Center for Public Service.
See the Data Sources and Updates Calendar for a detailed list of the data resources used for indicator measures on Virginia Performs.
