• Overview
• Definition
• Incidence, prevalence and trends
• Risk factors
• Health consequences
• Costs
• Contributors

Health Consequences

Preventing further events after cardiovascular disease has caused a heart attack or stroke includes measure such as healthier behaviours, like stopping smoking, and medications, such as aspirin or statins.

Coronary heart disease (CHD) patients who stop smoking reduce their CHD death rates by about 40%, substantially more than the reductions seen with aspirin (15%) or statins (22%).

Median survival after a first acute myocardial infarction or stroke averages barely 8 years. ¹ The benefits of even the best medications taken diligently will be frustratingly limited. The various lifestyle changes and medications are assumed to operate additively, but RCT evidence is difficult to obtain. ²

Sudden deaths

Over 70% of CHD deaths occur outside hospital; many are sudden cardiac deaths, occurring less than an hour after the first symptom, often in people alone at the time. Opportunities for medical intervention are thus minimal, making primary prevention even more important. ³