Cardiovascuar Disease Statistics

Cardiovascular diseases plague more than 80 million adults according to the American Heart Association. These include cases of high blood pressure, coronary heart disease, heart failure, stroke, and congenital cardiovascular defects. Sometimes these overlap, so people might have more than one of them. As you age, the prevalence of these diseases increases. Over 80% of people over the age of 80 have a cardiovascular disease. A little over 70% have a cardiovascular disease between the ages of 60 and 79. According to the American Heart Association cardiovascular diseases accounted for over 35% of deaths in 2005. That is one in every 2.8 people in the United States. This is a very scary statistic. This is the leading cause of death in all years, except in 1918. Now the facts get even worse. There is an average of one death every 37 seconds caused by cardiovascular diseases. Only 60% of unexpected cardiac deaths are treated by EMS according to the American Heart Association.

With the next statistic, it will show the need for more people that know CPR. According to the AHA, "31.4 percent of out-of-hospital cardiac arrests receive bystander CPR". This is why we need more people that know CPR. I am actually certified by the AHA to give CPR. I am also certified in first aid. This is a great way to help save lives. You never really know when someone might need your help.

Right now I can say that almost everyone that I know has a cardiovascular disease. My husband at age 25 was diagnosed with high blood pressure. His father has had a heart attack due to high blood pressure. His mother has had a stroke due to high blood pressure. My grandmother has arrhythmia. My father has had a stroke, and has high blood pressure. Then my brother-in-law died at the age of 36 from an unexpected fatal heart attack. How many people do you know with a cardiovascular disease? I'm sure you can name plenty.

It is very important for everyone to not only know there risk, but o be tested regularly. Most of these diseases are easily treated with medication and diet. If you would like to know more of your risks, please click here. You can take the quiz and it will give you the results. I like that this will also give you suggestions to lower your risk. As you can tell many people are at risk. It doesn't matter what your age, sex, or race you can still have the disease. Be aware of your risks and get tested regularly. These are just a few statistics that you can see.American Heart Association, "Heart Disease & Stroke Statistics: 2009 Update At-A-Glance". American Heart Association