EPIDEMIOLOGY OF CAD

Coronary artery disease  is one of the most feared diseases and is a very popular topic of discussion today since it is so lethal and can affect many people, causing much death in its wake.  In order to understand how much of an impact CAD, has consider this: ischemic heart diseases are and continue to be the single largest cause of death in the world, according to Finegold, Asaria, and Francis.  Not even the U.S is spared.  "In the United States, coronary heart disease (CHD) is a leading cause of death for both men and women.  Each year, about 375,000 Americans die from CHD (2)."  This isn't even the whole story, as many people are afflicted with CAD in the US.  17.6 million to be exact, according to Wilson and Douglas.   

CAD Incidence By Race in US

As we can see from this chart, Non-Hispanic Whites males aged 18 and above have the highest chance of getting CAD. For persons aged 40 years old, the lifetime risk of obtaining CAD is 49% in men and 32% in women.  For those reaching the ripe age of 70, the risk decreases to 35% in men and 24% in women (4).  However, not everything is doom and gloom.  The deaths from CAD has actually been DECREASING since 1999 in the U.S! 

CAD Deaths per 100,000 in US Over 9 Years

This trend of decreasing deaths in develop countries is due to many factors.  One is improvements in therapy and the other half of this is due to change in risk factors (reduction in smoking, physical inactivity, cholesterol, systolic blood pressure, etc.) (4)  Other developing countries such as China, however, are projected to have an increase in CAD mortality from 9 million to 19 million from 1990 to 2020 (4).  

In order to keep this trend going, we must first decrease our own risk factors for this disease and that starts with education of the masses.  Although it is a far fetch, it is well within our grasp to lead the charge against CAD and eliminate it (as best as we can).  It all starts with us, so lets get up to the gym after this and eat a very well balanced meal after! 

Works Cited

(1) Finegold, J., Asaria, P., & Francis, D. (2013). Mortality from ischaemic heart disease by country, region, and age: Statistics from World Health Organisation and United Nations. International Journal of Cariology, 168(2), 934-945. Retrieved January 16, 2015, from http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0167527312014210

(2)National Heart Lung and Blood Institute. Who Is at Risk for Coronary Heart Disease? (2014, September 29). Retrieved January 16, 2015, from http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/health-topics/topics/cad/atrisk

(3)Health Resources and Services Administration. Heart Disease and Stroke. (n.d.). Retrieved January 16, 2015, from http://mchb.hrsa.gov/whusa11/hstat/hshi/pages/213hds.html

(4) Wilson, P., & Douglas, P. (2014, November 26). Epidemiology of coronary heart disease. Retrieved January 16, 2015, from http://www.uptodate.com/contents/epidemiology-of-coronary-heart-disease