Heart Disease Death Rates by County

Published: April 2009

Cardiovascular Disease Prevention: Addressing the Nation's Leading Killers
Cardiovascular disease (heart disease and stroke) is the nation’s No. 1 killer of men and women across all racial and ethnic groups. Because more than one in three adults (80 million) are living with one or more types of cardiovascular disease, heart disease and stroke are among the leading causes of death and disability in the U.S. workforce. In 2009, the cost of heart disease and stroke— including health care costs and lost productivity from deaths and disability— is estimated to be more than $475 billion. State governments pay a significant share of the burden for their state employees and Medicaid enrollees.

Prevention Opportunities

• Increasing access to screening and treatment for high blood pressure, high total blood cholesterol, high blood glucose and smoking can create heart healthy and stroke-free communities.
• Policies that promote healthy living by not smoking, being physically active, and eating nutritious, low sodium foods can help residents of your state live longer, healthier lives.
• Research indicates that an investment of $10 per person per year in communitybased programs that increase access to affordable nutritious foods, improve sidewalks and parks, and reduce smoking rates could save the country more than $16 billion annually within five years. This includes savings in Medicare and Medicaid and for private payers, yielding a return of $5.60 for every $1 spent.

Sources: American Heart Association, Heart Disease and Stroke Statistics, 2009 Update; National Center for Health Statistics, National Vital Statistics System; Trust for America's Health, Prevention for a Healthier America: Investments in Disease Prevention Yield Significant Savings, Stronger Communities, July 2008; and NCSL staff research.

Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Heart Disease Fact Sheet: http://www.cdc.gov/DHDSP/library/fs_heart_disease.htm.
Link to downloadable and interactive versions of the Atlases of Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention: http://www.cdc.gov/DHDSP/library/maps/index.htm