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usmap Find out what is happening at your local American Heart area
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Each year, the American Heart Association, in conjunction with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Institutes of Health and other government agencies, compiles up-to-date statistics on heart disease, stroke and other vascular diseases in the Heart Disease and Stroke Statistical Update. This is a valuable resource for researchers, clinicians, healthcare policy makers, media professionals, the public and others who seek the best national data available on disease morbidity, mortality and risks; quality of care; medical procedures and operations; and costs associated with the management of these diseases. The 2012 Statistical Update is a major source for monitoring cardiovascular health and disease in the population, with a focus on progress toward the American Heart Association’s 2020 Impact Goals.

Heart & Stroke Statistics FAQs

Prevalence is an estimate of how many people have a specific disease, condition or risk factor at a given point in time. Government agencies periodically conduct health examination surveys. Rates for specific diseases are calculated from those surveys. These rates are applied as the population changes for several years, until a new health examination survey is done and new rates are established. It’s important to realize that the prevalence rates do not change from year to year until there is a new survey.  The annual changes in prevalence as reported in Heart Disease & Stroke Statistics Update only reflect changes in the population. It isn't possible to develop a prevalence "trend" by comparing numbers from yearly issues of the publication or its precursors.



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