US Pharm. 2006;2:10.

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) accounts for 38% of all deaths. In the U.S., CVD affects more than 70 million people (32.5 million men; 37.6 million women), of whom 27 million are at least age 65. The cost of CVD and stroke in 2005 was estimated at $393.5 billion.

Arterial Diseases
Diseases of the arteries caused 38,748 deaths in 2001. Atherosclerosis accounts for 75% of all deaths from CVD. The incidence of deep venous thrombosis (DVT) increases dramatically with age, from about three per 10,000 people ages 30 to 49 to 20 per 10,000 people ages 70 to 79. In about 6% of DVT cases, death occurs within one month of diagnosis. Peripheral arterial disease affects up to 12 million people annually and is associated with significant morbidity and mortality.

Stroke
In 2002, 5.4 million people (three million women) had strokes, and 700,000 people experienced a new or recurrent stroke each year from 1999 to 2001. Of all strokes, 88% are ischemic, 9% are intracerebral hemorrhage, and 3% are subarachnoid hemorrhage. Up to 12% of ischemic strokes and 38% of hemorrhagic strokes result in death within 30 days. Although up to 70% of stroke survivors regain functional independence, 15% to 30% are permanently disabled.

Heart Failure
Five million people--2.5 million women and 2.4 million men--live with congestive heart failure (CHF). High blood pressure precedes most CHF cases. From 1992 to 2002, CHF deaths increased 35.3%. In 2001, 52,828 people died from CHF. CHF disables about 22% of male and 46% of female heart attack victims. About 80% of men and 70% of women younger than 65 who have CHF will die within eight years. In people with CHF, sudden cardiac death occurs at a rate up to nine times that of the general population.

Coronary Heart Disease
In 2002, coronary heart disease (CHD) affected 7.1 million men and 5.9 million women. More than one million people are diagnosed with CHD each year, and 500,000 die from it. CHD represents more than half of all CVD in people younger than 75. CHD rates in postmenopausal women are two to three times those of women the same age who have not reached menopause. Some 3.3 million women and 3.1 million men have angina pectoris. Each year, 400,000 people are diagnosed with stable angina. About 7.1 million Americans have had a myocardial infarction. In 2002, 865,000 new or recurrent attacks occurred and 180,000 people died. The average age at first heart attack is 65.8 for men and 70.4 for women.

Arrhythmias
In 2001, arrhythmias caused 37,892 deaths; 9,451 were due to atrial fibrillation (AF), which affects 2.2 million people annually. Up to 20% of strokes occur in people with AF. Tachycardia killed 6,496, and paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia killed 137.

Hypertension
In 2002, 65 million people (35.6 million women)--nearly one in three adults--had hypertension. Of those with hypertension, 30% are unaware they have it, 34% are on medication and have it controlled, 25% are on medication but do not have it under control, and 11% are not on medication.

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