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Originally Published 27 January 2021
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Heart Disease and Stroke Statistics—2021 Update: A Report From the American Heart Association

Abstract

Background:

The American Heart Association, in conjunction with the National Institutes of Health, annually reports the most up-to-date statistics related to heart disease, stroke, and cardiovascular risk factors, including core health behaviors (smoking, physical activity, diet, and weight) and health factors (cholesterol, blood pressure, and glucose control) that contribute to cardiovascular health. The Statistical Update presents the latest data on a range of major clinical heart and circulatory disease conditions (including stroke, congenital heart disease, rhythm disorders, subclinical atherosclerosis, coronary heart disease, heart failure, valvular disease, venous disease, and peripheral artery disease) and the associated outcomes (including quality of care, procedures, and economic costs).

Methods:

The American Heart Association, through its Statistics Committee, continuously monitors and evaluates sources of data on heart disease and stroke in the United States to provide the most current information available in the annual Statistical Update. The 2021 Statistical Update is the product of a full year’s worth of effort by dedicated volunteer clinicians and scientists, committed government professionals, and American Heart Association staff members. This year’s edition includes data on the monitoring and benefits of cardiovascular health in the population, an enhanced focus on social determinants of health, adverse pregnancy outcomes, vascular contributions to brain health, the global burden of cardiovascular disease, and further evidence-based approaches to changing behaviors related to cardiovascular disease.

Results:

Each of the 27 chapters in the Statistical Update focuses on a different topic related to heart disease and stroke statistics.

Conclusions:

The Statistical Update represents a critical resource for the lay public, policy makers, media professionals, clinicians, health care administrators, researchers, health advocates, and others seeking the best available data on these factors and conditions.

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Comments and feedback on AHA/ASA Scientific Statements and Guidelines should be directed to the AHA/ASA Manuscript Oversight Committee via its Correspondence page.

Information & Authors

Information

Published In

Go to Circulation
Go to Circulation
Circulation
Pages: e254 - e743
PubMed: 33501848

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History

Published online: 27 January 2021
Published in print: 23 February 2021

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Keywords

  1. AHA Scientific Statements
  2. cardiovascular diseases
  3. epidemiology
  4. risk factors
  5. statistics
  6. stroke

Subjects

Authors

Affiliations

Salim S. Virani, MD, PhD, FAHA, Chair
Alvaro Alonso, MD, PhD, FAHA
Hugo J. Aparicio, MD, MPH
Emelia J. Benjamin, MD, ScM, FAHA
Marcio S. Bittencourt, MD, PhD, MPH, FAHA
Clifton W. Callaway, MD, PhD, FAHA
April P. Carson, PhD, MSPH, FAHA
Alanna M. Chamberlain, PhD, MPH, FAHA
Susan Cheng, MD, MMSc, MPH, FAHA
Francesca N. Delling, MD, MPH, FAHA
Mitchell S.V. Elkind, MD, MS, FAHA
Kelly R. Evenson, PhD, MS, FAHA
Jane F. Ferguson, PhD, FAHA
Deepak K. Gupta, MD, MSCI, FAHA
Sadiya S. Khan, MD, MSc, FAHA
Brett M. Kissela, MD, MS, FAHA
Kristen L. Knutson, PhD
Chong D. Lee, EdD, MEd, FAHA
Tené T. Lewis, PhD, FAHA
Matthew Shane Loop, PhD, FAHA
Pamela L. Lutsey, PhD, MPH, FAHA
Jason Mackey, MD, FAHA
Seth S. Martin, MD, MHS, FAHA
David B. Matchar, MD, FAHA
Michael E. Mussolino, PhD, FAHA
Sankar D. Navaneethan, MD, MS, MPH
Amanda Marma Perak, MD, MS, FAHA
Gregory A. Roth, MD, MPH, FAHA
Gary M. Satou, MD, FAHA
Emily B. Schroeder, MD, PhD, FAHA
Svati H. Shah, MD, MHS, FAHA
Christina M. Shay, PhD, FAHA
Lisa B. VanWagner, MD, MSc, FAST, FAHA
Nae-Yuh Wang, PhD, MS, FAHA
Connie W. Tsao, MD, MPH, Vice Chair
On behalf of the American Heart Association Council on Epidemiology and Prevention Statistics Committee and Stroke Statistics Subcommittee

Notes

The 2021 American Heart Association (AHA) Statistical Update uses updated language surrounding race and ethnicity to honor the people belonging to each group. Instead of referring to a specific group with only the name of their race or ethnicity, we have identified each race or ethnic classification with terms such as “Asian people,” “Black adults,” “Hispanic youth,” “White females,” or similar terms.
As the AHA continues its focus on health equity to address structural racism, we are working actively to reconcile language used in previously published data sources and studies as we compile this information in the annual Statistical Update. We strive to use the racial and ethnic terms from the original data sources or published studies (mostly from the past 5 years), which may not be as inclusive as the terms now used in 2021. As style guidelines for scientific writing evolve, they will serve as guidance for data sources and publications and how they are cited in future Statistical Update publications.
The views expressed in this manuscript are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the views of the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute; the National Institutes of Health; the US Department of Health and Human Services; or the US Department of Veterans Affairs.
The American Heart Association makes every effort to avoid any actual or potential conflicts of interest that may arise as a result of an outside relationship or a personal, professional, or business interest of a member of the writing panel. Specifically, all members of the writing group are required to complete and submit a Disclosure Questionnaire showing all such relationships that might be perceived as real or potential conflicts of interest.
A copy of the document is available at https://professional.heart.org/statements by using either “Search for Guidelines & Statements” or the “Browse by Topic” area. To purchase additional reprints, call 843-216-2533 or email [email protected].
The American Heart Association requests that this document be cited as follows: Virani SS, Alonso A, Aparicio HJ, Benjamin EJ, Bittencourt MS, Callaway CW, Carson AP, Chamberlain AM, Cheng S, Delling FN, Elkind MSV, Evenson KR, Ferguson JF, Gupta DK, Khan SS, Kissela BM, Knutson KL, Lee CD, Lewis TT, Liu J, Loop MS, Lutsey PL, Ma J, Mackey J, Martin SS, Matchar DB, Mussolino ME, Navaneethan SD, Perak AM, Roth GA, Samad Z, Satou GM, Schroeder EB, Shah SH, Shay CM, Stokes A, VanWagner LB, Wang N-Y, Tsao CW; on behalf of the American Heart Association Council on Epidemiology and Prevention Statistics Committee and Stroke Statistics Subcommittee. Heart disease and stroke statistics—2021 update: a report from the American Heart Association. Circulation. 2021;143:e254–e743. doi: 10.1161/CIR.0000000000000950
The expert peer review of AHA-commissioned documents (eg, scientific statements, clinical practice guidelines, systematic reviews) is conducted by the AHA Office of Science Operations. For more on AHA statements and guidelines development, visit https://professional.heart.org/statements. Select the “Guidelines & Statements” drop-down menu, then click “Publication Development.”
Permissions: Multiple copies, modification, alteration, enhancement, and/or distribution of this document are not permitted without the express permission of the American Heart Association. Instructions for obtaining permission are located at https://www.heart.org/permissions. A link to the “Copyright Permissions Request Form” appears in the second paragraph (https://www.heart.org/en/about-us/statements-and-policies/copyright-request-form).

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