Heart Disease Deaths Decline, But . . .

Good news, today. The medical journal Circulation contains a report that describes the rate of cardiovascular deaths over the years 1999 to 2003. The population studied lived in Olmsted County, Minnesota. During the 4 years heart disease mortality declined by 50%. It differed by age; the average annual decline was 3.9% for those under 75, 3.4% for 75- to 85-year-olds, and 1.5% for those over 85. The decline was also greater in men than in women, and for coronary heart disease than for non-coronary heart disease.

The need for improvement has therefore shifted from men to women, and from the young to the old. Several good websites point out the steps for women to take to reduce their risk. And there are also plenty of information sources on prevention of heart attacks that can be used by all age groups.