Cardiovascular Disease

•  Includes the second and third leading causes of death in North Carolina – heart disease and stroke – and all other diseases of the blood vessels.  
• Is a major cause of premature death and years of potential life lost in N.C.  
• Causes 35% more deaths as all cancers combined.
• Is responsible for more deaths among North Carolina women than all cancers combined.  
• Affects people of all ages -- nearly 1 in 5 cardiovascular disease deaths among North Carolinians occur among those younger than 65 years of age.  
• Is the leading cause of hospitalization among North Carolina residents, responsible for more than $4.2 billion in hospital charges in 2005. 

Heart Disease

•  Includes coronary heart disease, heart failure, and other types of heart diseases.
•  Causes 23% of all deaths in North Carolina.
• Was no longer the leading cause of death in North Carolina in 2006, for the first time in nearly 90 years; cancer was the leading cause of death, and heart disease was the second leading cause of death.  This was due to dramatic declines in heart disease death rates in N.C. in recent years. Cancer death rates have also been declining, but not as rapidly as heart disease death rates. 
• Remains the leading cause of death among N.C. women and is the 2nd leading cause of death among N.C. men.  

  Stroke or Cerebrovascular Disease 

• Is the third leading cause of death in the state, causing 6% of all deaths in North Carolina and giving N.C. the fifth highest stroke death rate in the country in 2004, after many years with the fourth highest death rate. This change is testimony to the collective efforts of many in North Carolina in addressing a major public health problem.

• Carries an estimated lifetime cost of $100,000 for a mild stroke in an older individual, $500,000 for a severe stroke in a younger individual.