Cardiovascular Disease Mortality by Health Authority

Topic Box from the 2006 Sixth Annual Benchmark Report

Description
The general term cardiovascular disease includes all diseases of the circulatory system including acute myocardial infarction, ischemic heart disease, valvular heart disease, peripheral vascular disease, arrhythmias, high blood pressure and stroke. Cardiovascular disease is the cause of death of over one-third of Canadians.

Why it's Important
Heart disease has a major impact on an individual's quality of life, including chronic pain or discomfort, activity restriction, disability, and unemployment.

The lowest 2005 mortality rate from cardiovascular disease (13.6 deaths per 10,000 population) was in the Vancouver Coastal Health Authority; the highest (17.4) was in the Fraser Health Authority.

Mortality rates from cardiovascular disease were significantly lower in 2005 than in 1996 all across BC. The smallest 1996 to 2005 decrease (27.0%) in mortality was in the Interior Health Authority while the largest decrease (37.5%) was in the Vancouver Coastal Health Authority.