Cardiovascular disease (CVD) contributed to one-third of all deaths worldwide in 1999.14 In low- and middle-income countries, that statistic increased to 78% of all deaths.14 The World Health Organization estimates that 17 million deaths annually are attributed to CVD worldwide.15
CVD is the leading cause of death among Americans and claims lives more than the next five leading causes of death combined.16 More than 60 million Americans have some form of CVD, including high blood pressure, coronary heart disease, stroke or congestive heart failure.16
The magnitude of this disease is alarming:
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CVD is the primary or contributing cause of death in over 1.4 million Americans annually, which is nearly 60% of the 2.4 million deaths that occur in America each year16
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A coronary event occurs every 29 seconds and a death every minute16
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Coronary heart disease accounts for more than half of all cardiovascular diseases in men and women under the age of 7516
