Reducing the Cardiovascular Disease Burden

Abstract

Better understanding of cardiovascular disease (CVD) presentation and pathophysiology has led to the development of remarkable advances in the prevention and treatment of CVD and stroke, and recent data have shown a fall in trends of mortality from CVD.1 Nevertheless, CVD has remained the leading cause of mortality and morbidity at the beginning of the third millennium, accounting for 1 in every 3 deaths in the United States.2,3 More than 2 million Americans suffer from CVD or stroke each year.2 According to US 2008 mortality data, 1 person dies of cardiovascular disease every 39 seconds.3 Besides being a major cause of demise and disability, CVD is associated with enormous costs. If the current trends for cardiovascular disease continue, nearly 40% of the US population will experience some form of CVD, with estimated direct and indirect costs exceeding $1 trillion annually.4 The Million Hearts Initiative (MHI) is an ambitious national campaign that aims to reduce the incidence of CVD and stroke. Led by the Department of Health and Human Services, in collaboration with multiple governmental and private sector organizations, MHI will foster nationwide efforts to target major cardiovascular risk factors including hypertension, dyslipidemia, smoking, and obesity, as well as encouraging the implementation of preventive measures such as prescription of aspirin to patients at risk of CVD or stroke. Efforts will also be made to work with the food industry for reduction of trans fat moieties from food products. Similarly, MHI aims to reduce the salt intake of Americans, by a variety of strategies, including educational initiatives and pushing for extensive disclosure of sodium content on food packaging. By addressing such key risk factors, MHI aims to prevent 1 million myocardial infarctions and strokes over the next 5 years.2,5 Table 1 summarizes …