Just under one million deaths (40% of all deaths) in the U.S. in 1998 were caused by cardiovascular diseases (which include coronary heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, congestive heart failure, and other vascular illnesses). This percent of deaths is far higher than are that for cancer (23%), accidents (4%), or HIV/AIDS (0.5%).
The percent of deaths caused by cardiovascular diseases varies by gender and ethnicity. About 50% of these deaths are caused by coronary heart disease, followed by stroke, which accounts for another 20% of deaths. While heart disease is often considered mainly a man's problem, it's interesting to note that a woman is about 12 times more likely to die of cardiovascular disease than to die of breast cancer.
Not only are the death rates and disability from coronary artery disease staggering, so are the costs to diagnose and treat such a killer.
