CDC: deaths from heart disease falling, except for certain types

Date: Nov-17-2014 After analyzing 10 years of data on heart disease deaths among

Americans, researchers find the overall rate has shown an annual

decline. However, within that figure, deaths from heart disease caused

by high blood pressure and irregular heart beat have increased

annually.

Researchers found that overall death rates from heart disease in the US have fallen, while death rates from hypertensive heart disease and heart disease caused by arrhythmia have increased.

Dr. Matthew D. Ritchey and colleagues, of the Centers for Disease

Control and Prevention's (CDC's) Division for Heart Disease and Stroke

Prevention in Atlanta, GA, report their findings in JAMA.

They note that, while many studies have examined and published data

on overall heart disease and coronary heart disease (CHD) rates, little is known

about trends for the various subtypes.

For their analysis, they examined data from death certificates of US

residents aged 35 and older who died during 2000-2010 and

whose underlying cause of death was shown as either CHD, heart failure, hypertensive heart disease (HHD) - heart disease due to

high blood pressure - valvular heart disease, arrhythmia, pulmonary heart disease or other

heart disease.

The team got their data from WONDER - a CDC public health database that, among

other things, holds death certificate information.

Death rates from HHD, arrhythmia have increased

The researchers found that over the 10-year period, more than 7.1 million

Americans died of heart disease. Over that time, the rates of death

fell for heart disease overall by 3.8% per year, while death rates for CHD fell by 5.1% per

year.

This downward trend was also reflected within most of the subtypes.

However, there were two notable exceptions; death rates from HHD increased by 1.3% per year, while death rates from heart disease caused by arrhythmia increased by 1% per

year.

In 2010, after CHD and other heart disease, the leading cause of death related

to heart disease among those aged 35-54 (12.1%) and 55-74 (6.7%) was HHD. Among those aged 75 and over, it was heart

failure (12.2%).

The authors note that although deaths due to HHD "increased among non-Hispanic whites and was unchanged among non-Hispanic blacks, it remained much higher among non-Hispanic blacks in

2010."

They also point out that while deaths due to HHD

and arrhythmia account for only a small proportion of overall heart disease

deaths, their increases should be noted. They add:

"Uncontrolled blood pressure and obesity among younger adults,

especially non-Hispanic blacks, may be putting them at risk for

developing HHD at an early age."

They also say the increase in heart disease deaths due to

arrhythmia was most prominent among non-Hispanic whites, women and all

people aged 75 and over.

Aging population among the reasons suggested for increases

Among the reasons for these increases, the authors suggest an aging

population, people living longer with heart failure, increases in

chronic kidney disease and HHD prevalence. Another reason could be changes in how arrhythmia is diagnosed and

reported on death certificates, they add.

The researchers conclude that, while the overall rate of death due to

heart disease is falling, "considerable burden still exists." They note that all

efforts by policymakers and clinicians to apply evidence-based

treatments to prevent and treat CHD and other types of heart disease,

such as HHD and arrhythmia, should continue.

Meanwhile, Medical News Today recently learned how errors

in a single gene may protect against

heart disease. Writing in the New England Journal of

Medicine, researchers described how rare mutations that shut down

a single gene are linked to lower cholesterol levels and a halving of

the risk of heart attack.

Written by Catharine Paddock PhD

Not to be reproduced without permission.

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Courtesy: Medical News Today Note: Any medical information available in this news section is not intended as a substitute for informed medical advice and you should not take any action before consulting with a health care professional.