Heart Disease Killing Fewer Americans

Study: Major Medical Inroads Made Against Leading Cause Of Death

(CBS)  There's good news about heart disease and stroke: You are probably less likely to die from them than ever before.

According to the American Heart Association, there were 160,000 fewer deaths from heart disease and stroke in 2005, compared to 1999.

The AHA predicts, at this rate, by the end of 2008, 240,000 lives will be saved, CBS News medical correspondent Dr. Jon LaPook reports.

In another era, 76-year-old Carrie Mitchell might be dead from a heart attack by now - she had no warning signs.

"I went for an exam, for a physical exam and I failed the stress test. Right away they sent me into surgery," Mitchell said.

She's a poster girl for today's good news - from 1999 to 2005, the death rate from coronary heart disease has dropped by 25.8 percent. For stroke patients, it's down 24.4 percent.

"This is all a product of new technology, new devices, new drugs that literally were not available twenty years ago," said Dr. Todd Rosengart.

About half the improvement comes from reduction in risk factors like cholesterol, blood pressure and smoking. The other half comes from better surgery and procedures. But not every trend is heading in the right direction.

"We're seeing increasing rates of diabetes and obesity, especially in our youth, which doesn't bode well for the future trend of cardiovascular disease," said Dr. Lori Mosca of New York Presbyterian Hospital.

Still, Americans can to do better in reducing risk factors, LaPook reports. Coronary heart disease kills almost half a million Americans a year.

The Greedy Medical Community is claiming credit for this news however it is the change in the SAD(Standard American Diet)that should be credit for this news.

[donbl1]

The number one killer in America is toasters. Yes, toasters. More killed by toasters than killed in Iraq.

Hmmmmm.. America, stop sticking your knives in the toaster. Cheaper than Lipitor.

[extremophil]

I agree with mbburch06. Just last week we were told that the statins didn''t make any difference and were a big waste of money. I''m soooo confussssed!!

[alphaa10-2009]

The really bad news is the "good news" about the latest stent and angioplasty procedures-- they make heart disease surgery more, not less frequent.

Overall, their safety depends too much on the surgeon''s skill, and their quality, hospital to hospital, is decidedly uneven.

But never fear, hospitals have become stent and angioplasty factories-- very, very profitable. Better to ask for data like patient five-year survival rates for individual surgeons/hospitals.

[nicolexue]

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[nicolexue]

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[mbburch06]

Wait a minute CBS, just last Friday you were telling us that statins are the devil -- they''re overpresrcibed, horrific side effects, doctors don''t know ***... now we learn that heart-related deaths have dropped 25% in the past ten years. Hard to believe that with all those terrible statins on the market, right?

Talk about "drive by" journalism!

[joyous88]

why don''t you conservative evangelical scumbags blame
this on Bill Clinton as well?

[logicanada]

Yeeessss...Americans are now dying in greater numbers from stress, stroke, rapid aging, war, suicide due to mental illness, automobile accidents and murder.
But their hearts are good when they go!

[logicanada]

Yeeessss...Americans are now dying in greater numbers from stress, stroke, rapid aging, war, suicide due to mental illness, automobile accidents and murder.
But their hearts are good when they go!