Heart Disease's Controllable Risks

Despite a fatter populace, U.S. heart disease deaths fell by 50% between 1980 and 2000, saving over 340,000 lives each year. The surprise is why.

A new Centers for Disease Control study says that about half of the decrease (47%) is attributable to better treatment, and about half (44%) to reduction in risk factors. Risk factor reductions were seen in improved cholesterol levels, reduced incidence of high blood pressure, less smoking, and fewer physically inactive people.

According to the researchers, what's surprising is the importance of risk factor reduction. Prior to this study, both professionals and lay people would probably have guessed that "modern medicine" would account for most of the improvement in mortality rates. This study provides an argument that simple public health measures -- which at the micro level are personal choices -- can have the same impact as sophisticated technology and pharmaceuticals.

The authors say that a 10% average increase in body-mass index and more people with diabetes added back about 60,000 deaths per year. Both are risk factors for heart disease.

There are other risk factors that individuals can do nothing about: age, male sex, and heredity.

Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States, killing over 650,000 U.S. residents per year.

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