Prevalence of coronary heart disease largely unchanged from 2011 to 2018

(HealthDay)—The prevalence of coronary heart disease (CHD) remained largely unchanged in the United States from 2011 to 2018, according to a research letter published online Jan. 19 in JAMA Cardiology.

Yi-Ting Hana Lee, M.P.H., from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, and colleagues used data from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (2011 to 2018) to assess recent trends in self-reported CHD prevalence.

The researchers found that based on data from nearly 3.6 million U.S. adults, there was no significant change in CHD prevalence during the study period. There were significant declines in prevalence in some geographic locations (Utah: absolute change, −1.09 percent; declines in the District of Columbia, California, and Nebraska approached significance), while other localities had significant increases (e.g., Oregon and West Virginia). There were small but statistically significant decreases observed in CHD prevalence among adults aged 65 years and older and among college graduates (absolute changes, −1.82 and −0.35 percent, respectively), while a small but significant increase was seen for adults aged 18 to 44 years (absolute change, 0.34 percent).

"The modest declines in CHD prevalence may be influenced by trends in risk factors, including obesity and type 2 diabetes," the authors write.

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