Heart Disease

Importance and Measures

Mortality
Number of deaths (2003)....................................................................................................	684,4622
Cause of death rank (2003).................................................................................................	1st2
Prevalence
Number of cases of coronary heart disease each year..........................................................	13,000,0009
Number of cases of congestive heart failure each year..........................................................	4,900,0009
Number of cases of high blood pressure each year...............................................................	65,000,0009
Number of heart attacks each year......................................................................................	7,100,0009
Incidence
Number of new cases of congestive heart failure each year...................................................	550,0009
Cost
Total cost of cardiovascular disease (2005 est.)..................................................................	$393.4 billion3
Total cost of congestive heart failure (2005 est.)..................................................................	$27.9 billion9
Direct medical costs of cardiovascular disease (2005 est.)...................................................	$241.8 billion3

Measures

The NHQR tracks several quality measures for preventing and treating heart disease, including the following four core report measures:

• Counseling smokers to quit smoking
• Receipt of recommended care for acute heart failure
• Receipt of recommended care for heart attack (acute myocardial infarction, or AMI)
• Inpatient mortality following heart attack

In addition, a supplemental measure focusing on appropriate disease management is also presented:

• Blood pressure monitoring and control

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