Could Over 200,000 Deaths due to Cardiovascular Problems have been Prevented?

Taking certain health precautions in order to prevent the onset of another problem might seem impossible when concerning various genetic and environmental factors. Yet a recent report by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shows that teaching the public about preventable measures regarding your health can help prevent problems down the road, including nearly 200,007 cardiovascular disease related deaths stated in the report via 2010.

According to Linda J. Schieb, M.S.P.H, with the CDC in Atlanta and colleagues who examined  mortality data from the National Vital Statistics System via 2001 to 2010, they discovered that these deaths were mostly due to stroke, heart disease and hypertensive disease, some of which could have possibly been prevented with various precautionary health measures.

"Nearly one-fourth of all cardiovascular disease deaths are avoidable," Schieb and colleagues concluded. "National, state, and local initiatives aimed at improving health-care systems and supporting healthy behaviors are essential to reducing avoidable heart disease, stroke, and hypertensive disease deaths."

The researchers considered factors regarding age range and ethnicity when examining the cause of the preventable deaths. The highest morality rates were seen between 65 and 74-years-old. Researchers also found that 56 percent of the deaths occurred among people who were younger than 65. Statistics from the study showed that many of these deaths could have been avoided more so by men than women and non-Hispanic blacks in southern regions of the United States.

What do you think? 

More information regarding the report can be found via the CDC's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.