A recent report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that nearly ¼ of deaths from heart disease, stroke, or hypertensive disease are avoidable. Avoidable deaths include those involving conditions that are preventable or treatable. The report defines avoidable deaths as those in persons under age 75 with an underlying cause of ischemic or rheumatic heart disease, cerebrovascular disease, or hypertensive disease.
Using 2001-2010 mortality data from the National Vital Statistics System, the report estimates that there were 200,070 avoidable deaths from such cardiovascular diseases in 2010 across the country. The highest rates of such avoidable deaths were among people who were (1) ages 65-74, (2) male, (3) non-Hispanic black, or (4) in the South. Black males showed the highest rate of avoidable deaths during the period being studied.
The overall rate of such avoidable deaths declined by 29% from 2001 to 2010; the rate decreased in each state during that period. Connecticut is among the states with the lowest rate of such avoidable deaths; the state had an average annual decline in such deaths of 5.7%.
Some of the CDC’s recommendations to further decrease such deaths include (1) promoting the “ABCS” of heart health (aspirin when appropriate, blood pressure control, cholesterol management, and smoking cessation); (2) community prevention strategies (such as tobacco control and reducing sodium); and (3) team-based collaborative care.
