The first study of its kind ever conducted in Canada looked at data contained in the Canadian Mortality Database, Statistics Canada's national death registry, on the cause of all deaths in the country and on hospital admissions for heart attacks, heart failure and stroke. The researchers found that from 1994 through 2004, rates of death and hospital admissions for cardiovascular disease had declined 30 percent, from 360.6 to 252.5 per 100,000 people. This translated into 4,000 fewer Canadians dying from heart attacks in 2004 than in 1994.

The study authors pointed to successful efforts to prevent heart disease, noting in a statement that "this could reflect declines in risk factors, such as smoking and increased use of statins to control cholesterol." (Statins are cholesterol-lowering drugs that are typically prescribed to patients who have had heart disease or are at risk for the disease.) The researchers saw improvements "across most age and sex groups," but found, for the first time, high rates of death and hospital admission related to cardiovascular disease in elderly women. "This highlights the need for increased investment in education and research on cardiovascular health and disease in women," writes Dr. Jack Tu from the Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences (ICES) and one of the study's co-authors.

Moreover, despite the 30 percent decrease, the authors warn that "these findings are not grounds for complacency. They suggest that previous efforts to prevent cardiovascular events have been successful, but in many cases they may have delayed the occurrence of such events until people are older and potentially more difficult to treat." The authors also write that "prevention, therefore, becomes vital because over 80 percent of premature cardiovascular disease is avoidable." The study was recently published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal.

News Release: Canada heart disease deaths drop 30 pct   www.google.com    June 22, 2009