Cardiovascular Disease

Heart Disease and Stroke Statistics for 2016

Heart Disease (including Coronary Heart Disease, Hypertension, and Stroke) remains to be the #1 cause of death in the US. Stroke ranks #5.¹

Cardiovascular disease, listed as the underlying cause of death, accounts for nearly 801,000 deaths in the US. That’s about 1 of every 3 deaths in the US.¹

• Coronary heart disease accounts for 1 in 7 deaths in the US, killing over 360,000 people a year.¹
• In Oklahoma, heart disease was the leading cause of death, accounting for 1 in 4 deaths, killing almost 10,000 people a year.²
• Stroke accounts for 1 of every 20 deaths in the US, killing nearly 133,000 people a year.¹
• In Oklahoma, stroke is the 5th leading cause of death, accounting for more than 1 in 20 deaths and killing more than 1,800 a year.²

In 2014, heart disease death rates were highest among Oklahoma non-Hispanic Blacks and American Indians. These rates were twice as high as the rate among Hispanics.²

Determining your risk for CVD

C-reactive protein (CRP) is made by the liver in response to tissue injury, infection, and inflammation. High levels indicate inflammation due to infection or tissue injury. Moderately elevated levels may be associated with increased heart disease risk.⁵

Certain medications and food may anti-inflammatory benefits.

Lp-PLA2 is an enzymatic, specific marker for vascular inflammation and is believed to contribute to plaque development.^6,7 High levels of Lp-PLA2 may predict risk of a heart attack or stroke. Certain medications can reduce levels of Lp-PLA². Lp-PLA² testing must be ordered through a healthcare provider.

If both hs-CRP and Lp-PLA² levels are high, your risk for a heart attack or stroke increases.⁵ Your health care provider can order blood tests to evaluate a patients levels and determine risk.

QuestDirect’s Heart Health tests are available to patients without a health care provider's order.

The cholesterol panel, also known as a lipid panel, is made up of a group of tests to detect the risk of coronary artery disease, heart attack or stroke. It is also used to monitor treatment for someone already diagnosed with cardiac issues. It measures total cholesterol, HDL, LDL, and triglycerides.

A total cholesterol test is used to screen for the risk of developing heart disease. Because high blood cholesterol has been associated with the hardening of arteries, called atherosclerosis, and an increased risk of death from heart attacks, cholesterol testing is considered a routine part of preventative health care.

An inflammation marker test, also known as a high-sensitivity CRP, is a blood test that is used to evaluate the risk of cardiovascular disease, heart attacks and strokes. The test measures low levels of CRP in the blood to identify low levels of inflammation that can lead to heart disease.

Important: Always discuss QuestDirect testing results with your healthcare provider, who can use them to explain your risk of heart disease or stroke.

Reasons to get testing

If two or more of the following apply to you, then you are a candidate for advanced cardiovascular testing:²

• Heart disease or a heart attack (this counts as two)
• History of any other cardiovascular disease (such as stroke, peripheral vascular disease, or vasculitis) Diabetes (this counts as two)
• Pre-diabetes, insulin resistance, or other metabolic disease
• Family history of either heart disease or a heart attack before the age of 55
• Total cholesterol >200 mg/dL
• LDL cholesterol (bad cholesterol) >130 mg/dL, or LDL cholesterol >100 mg/dL if you have had a heart attack
• Triglycerides >150 mg/dL
• HDL cholesterol (good cholesterol)
• Systolic blood pressure (top number) >140 mmHg
• Diastolic blood pressure (bottom number) >90 mmHg
• Obese or overweight
• Cigarette smoker
• Physical inactivity
• History of autoimmune or other inflammatory diseases

CVD Treatment Cost

About 92.1 million American adults are living with some form of cardiovascular disease or the after-effects of stroke. Direct and indirect costs of cardiovascular diseases and stroke are estimated to total more than $316 billion, which includes both health expenditures and lost productivity.¹

Heart attacks ($11.5 billion) and Coronary Heart Disease ($10.4 billion) were 2 of the 10 most expensive hospital principal discharge diagnoses.³

Between 2013 and 2030, medical costs of Coronary Heart Disease are projected to increase by about 100%.³

References

1. Retreived from http://professional.heart.org/professional/ScienceNews/UCM_491264_Heart-...
2. Retreived from https://www.ok.gov/health/Wellness/Chronic_Disease_Service/Heart_Disease...
3. Retreived from https://nccd.cdc.gov/DHDSPAtlas/Reports.aspx
4. Prevalence data are from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS). *2013 data
5. Greenland P, Alpert JS, Beller GA, et al. 2010 ACCF/AHA guideline for assessment of cardiovascular risk in asymptomatic adults: a report of the American College of Cardiology Foundation/American Heart Association Task Force on Practice Guidelines. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2010;56:e50-103.
6. Davidson MH, Corson MA, Alberts MJ, et al. Consensus panel recommendation for incorporating lipoprotein-associated phospholipase A2 testing into cardiovascular disease risk assessment guidelines. Am J Cardiol. 2008;101(suppl):51F-57F.
7. Gonçalves I, Edsfeldt A, Ko NY, et al. Evidence supporting a key role of Lp-PLA2-generated lysophosphatidylcholine in human atherosclerotic plaque inflammation. Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol. 2012;32:1505-1512.

Diagnostic Laboratory of Oklahoma (DLO) strives to empower patients to take a more active role in their healthcare decisions through providing education on disease states and available diagnostic testing, as well as resources for additional information from medical organizations.