Heart Disease Facts

America's Heart Disease Burden

In 2008, over 616,000 people died of heart disease. Heart disease caused almost 25% of deaths—almost one in every four—in the United States.¹
Heart disease is the leading cause of death for both men and women. More than half of the deaths due to heart disease in 2008 were in men.¹
Coronary heart disease is the most common type of heart disease. In 2008, 405,309 people died from coronary heart disease.¹
Every year about 785,000 Americans have a first coronary attack. Another 470,000 who have already had one or more coronary attacks have another attack.²
In 2010, coronary heart disease alone was projected to cost the United States $108.9 billion.³ This total includes the cost of health care services, medications, and lost productivity.

Deaths Vary by Ethnicity

Heart disease is the leading cause of death for people of most ethnicities in the United States, including African Americans, Hispanics, and whites. For American Indians or Alaska Natives and Asians or Pacific Islanders, heart disease is second only to cancer. Below is the percentage of all deaths caused by heart disease in 2008, listed by ethnicity.¹

Race of Ethnic Group	% of Deaths
African Americans	24.4
American Indians or Alaska Natives	17.9
Asians or Pacific Islanders	23.2
Hispanics	20.7
Whites	25.1
All	24.9

Deaths Vary by Geography

Across the United States, death rates due to heart disease in 2008 were highest in Mississippi and lowest in Minnesota.¹

Risk Prevention

For people with heart disease, studies have shown that lowering cholesterol and blood pressure levels can reduce the risk of—
- Dying from heart disease.
- Having a nonfatal heart attack.
- Needing heart bypass surgery or angioplasty.
- For people without heart disease, lowering cholesterol and blood pressure levels can reduce the risk for developing heart disease.

Early Action is Key

In a 2005 survey, most respondents—92%—recognized chest pain as a symptom of a heart attack. Only 27% were aware of all major symptoms and knew to call 9-1-1 when someone was having a heart attack.⁴
About 47% of sudden cardiac deaths occur outside a hospital. This suggests that many people with heart disease don't act on early warning signs.⁵

Americans at Risk

Below is the percentage of U.S. adults with heart disease risk factors in 2005-2008.⁶

Risk Factor	%
Inactivity	53
Obesity	34
High Blood Pressure	32
Cigarette Smoking	21
High Cholesterol	15
Diabetes	11

In 2003, approximately 37% of adults reported having two or more of the risk factors listed above.⁷

Fact Sheets

References

Miniño AM, Murphy SL, Xu J, Kochanek KD. Deaths: Final data for 2008. National Vital Statistics Reports; vol 59 no 10. Hyattsville, MD: National Center for Health Statistics. 2011.
Roger VL, Go AS, Lloyd-Jones DM, et al. Heart disease and stroke statistics—2012 update: a report from the American Heart Association. Circulation. Epub 2011 Dec 15.
Heidenreich PA, Trogdon JG, Khavjou OA, et al. Forecasting the future of cardiovascular disease in the United States: a policy statement from the American Heart Association. Circulation. 2011;123:933-44. Epub 2011 Jan 24.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Disparities in Adult Awareness of Heart Attack Warning Signs and Symptoms—14 States, 2005. MMWR. 2008;57(7):175–179.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. State Specific Mortality from Sudden Cardiac Death: United States, 1999. MMWR. 2002;51(6):123–126.
National Center for Health Statistics. Health, United States, 2010: With Special Feature on Death and Dying. Hyattsville, MD.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Racial/Ethnic and Socioeconomic Disparities in Multiple Risk Factors for Heart Disease and Stroke—United States, 2003. MMWR. 2005;54(5):113–117.