Heart Disease is America's leading cause of death.  In fact, heart disease is an umbrella term to describe a number of different diseases that affect the heart, including everything from coronary to cardiovascular heart disease.  All heart diseases are deadly and together they form a broader disease that now claims the lives of over 300,000 people in the US every year, according to the American Heart Association (AHA).  That's more than all forms of cancer combined.

Information on heart disease and how prevalent it is in your community in comparison to nationally and other markets can be found in the NRC Healthcare Market Guide (HCMG).  In the National Market, in 2006, 10.8% of HCMG respondents reported heart disease in their household.  In 2005, that number was 12.4%.  By state, the percentages ranged from 6.4% in Idaho to 14.9% in West Virginia.  This much is clear: every city in every state is affected by heart disease.

Heart disease is more than an umbrella term for several heart-related diseases; it is also a wide-reaching disease that draws from a number of different causes.  Some factors cannot be changed: your gender (males are at more risk than females), your age and your heredity can all contribute to heart disease.  Some factors, however, are within control: high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and being overweight can all contribute. 

In the HCMG National Market, 38.6% of respondents reported high blood pressure in their household in 2006, with 48.2% in West Virginia and 30.1% in Colorado being the highest and lowest state totals.  Nationally, 34.5% reported high cholesterol and 21.9% reported obesity.  Smokers and those who are physically inactive can also be at high risk for heart disease.

One of the most crucial aspects of heart disease is that it can go undetected for years, even decades.  According to the AHA, coronary heart disease for example can degrade the heart's overall performance slowly and then result in a sudden heart attack.  The AHA points out that a healthy diet of low-fat "heart healthy" foods (denoted by the AHA seal of approval on the packaging) and regular exercise are the only ways to truly increase your odds of avoiding heart disease in your lifetime.  Many hospitals have implemented patient education programs to help reduce the risks of heart disease in the community.

You can analyze all chronic conditions by demographics in the HCMG, giving you information to better understand how your community and your state are currently affected by heart disease.  It is never too soon to take note of this deadly, but largely preventable disease.  The Healthcare Market Guide can provide the necessary information to help you see heart disease and its effect on your market up close.

Sources

American Heart Association
www.americanheart.org