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CHD Mortality Decline Stagnation in Young Adults
Study Questions:
Have coronary heart disease (CHD) mortality rates declined for both women and men, and young and old?
Methods:
Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention WONDER online Compressed Mortality File of the US National Vital Statistics were used for the present study. Adults ages ≥25 years were included. Mortality data from 1979 to 2011 were examined for trends over time in CHD death rates.
Results:
From 1979 to 2011, overall age-adjusted CHD mortality declined significantly from 703 to 225 deaths per 100,000 in men and from 395 to 125 per 100,000 in women (68% decline for both genders). For adults ages ≥65 years, CHD mortality declined over time (-4.4% for men and -5.0% for women). However, among younger adults (<55 years), declines were observed to 1989, but in later decades, these declines stagnated. Among young women, no improvement in CHD mortality rates was observed between 1990 and 1999, and thereafter, a very small decline was noted from 2000 to 2011.
Conclusions:
The authors concluded that although there has been a significant decline in CHD deaths over the past several decades, among young adults, the decline has slowed significantly since 1990.
Perspective:
These data suggest that CHD death rates are not declining for younger adults as much as for older adults. Understanding the factors related to these differences would be an important component towards prevention of CHD morbidity and mortality.
Keywords: Coronary Disease, Mortality, Primary Prevention, Vital Statistics, Young Adult
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