Coronary Heart Disease Mortality Among Young Adults in the U.S. From 1980 Through 2002
Key result
Overall CHD mortality falls ~50% but stagnates recently among middle-aged adults.
- 52% decrease in men, 49% decrease in women
Authors
Discussion
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Key expert perspectives
Captured external expert commentary on this paper, strongest first. Original sources are linked where available.
“We have a pretty rosy view of how things are going in the war against cardiovascular disease. I view this paper as a wake-up call that says there is a very important segment of our population that needs some attention.”
WRWayne RosamondEpidemiology professor, University of North Carolina
“The rates will have to be monitored to see if this is the beginning of a real trend.”
Overview
Epidemiological analysis reveals slowing coronary heart disease mortality declines in young adults, indicating emerging cardiovascular vulnerabilities.
Key Points
- To examine temporal trends in coronary heart disease mortality among young adults aged 35 to 54 years in the United States between 1980 and 2002.
- Analyzed national vital statistics mortality files from the National Center for Health Statistics for United States adults aged 35 years and older from 1980 through 2002.
- Conducted joinpoint regression analyses to calculate annual percent changes and identify significant shifts in age-adjusted coronary heart disease mortality trends stratified by sex and age group.
- While coronary heart disease mortality declined overall, the rate of decline slowed substantially among adults aged 35 to 54 years compared to older age demographics.
- Among men aged 35 to 44 years, the annual percent change in mortality shifted from -4.6% per year (1980–1989) to -1.2% per year (1989–2002).
- Among women aged 35 to 44 years, mortality declines flattened after 1989 and showed a non-significant increase with an annual percent change of 1.3% per year from 1997 through 2002.
Study Design
Type
Observational
PICO
P
Population
U.S. adults aged 35 years and older whose coronary heart disease mortality rates were analyzed from 1980 through 2002.
E
Exposure / Comparator
Calendar year (1980-2002)
O
Primary Outcome
Age-adjusted mortality rate from coronary heart disease — 52% decrease in men, 49% decrease in women
Main Result
Effect estimate: 52% decrease in men, 49% decrease in women
Cite This Study
Ford et al. (2007) conducted an observational in Coronary heart disease mortality. Calendar year (1980-2002) was evaluated on Age-adjusted mortality rate from coronary heart disease (52% decrease in men, 49% decrease in women). Between 1980 and 2002, overall age-adjusted CHD mortality decreased by 52% in men and 49% in women, though the decline stagnated among adults aged 35 to 54 years in recent years.