Across Specialties

The prevalence of coronary heart disease among adults in the United States declined 10.4% from 2006 to 2010, according to a report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Data from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System show that the overall rate fell from 6.7% in 2006 to 6.0% in 2010. Among racial/ethnic populations, the overall decline was mirrored among whites (down 9.4%) and Hispanics (down 11.6%) but not among blacks (up 1.6%). Prevalence was down 23.5% among Asians or Native Hawaiians/other Pacific Islanders and was up 2.7% among American Indians/Alaska natives, the CDC said (MMWR Morb. Mortal. Wkly. Rep. 2011;60:1377-81).

CHD prevalence was down for both men and women, with considerable variation by sex. Prevalence for men dropped from 8.5% in 2006 to 7.8%; the rate for women went from 5.2% to 4.6%.

Since CHD mortality has been declining for half a century, prevalence should be increasing as more people live with the disease. The observed decline, however, suggests that efforts at prevention and risk factor control may be having an effect on CHD incidence, the CDC report noted.

Note: Based on age-adjusted data from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System.

Source: MMWR Morb. Mortal. Wkly. Rep. 2011;60:1377-81

12/13/11