Esta sociedad científica cifra en cerca de 62 millones la cantidad de estadounidenses que presentan enfermedad cardiovascular –hipertensión arterial, cardiopatía isquémica, ictus, defectos cardíacos congénitos, insuficiencia cardíaca-, y que fallecieron por esta causa más ciudadanos que por las siete siguientes causas de mortalidad combinadas, entre las que se incluye el cáncer de cualquier tipo.
Según la AHA, 50 millones de estadounidenses tienen hipertensión arterial, 12,6 millones cardiopatía isquémica y 4,6 millones han experimentado un ictus.
Asimismo, pone de manifiesto que las tasas de incidencia de la enfermedad cardíaca y del ictus no descienden, pese a que lo habían hecho en años precedentes.
Los últimos datos disponibles, correspondientes a 1999, muestran que las enfermedades cardiovasculares fueron la causa de muerte de casi un millón de estadounidenses, lo que representa un 40% de todos los fallecimientos.
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