Note:  this information is provided as a service.  The Cardiovascular Research Institute does not verify the accuracy of these figures.  For more in-depth information, or to determine how these totals were reached, contact the identified source.

Topics: Life Expectancy | Regarding Cardiovascular Disease | The Cost Of American Health Care | World Health & The Burden Of Disease

TOPIC:  LIFE EXPECTANCY

Source: National Vital Statistics Reports, Volume 48, Number 11

In 1998, life expectancy at birth reached a record high of 76.7 years, an increase of 0.2 years compared with life expectancy in 1997.  Females are expected to outlive males by an average of 5.7 years.

Life expectancy for:

White females:	80.0 years
White males:	74.5 years
Black females:	74.8 years
Black males:	67.6 years

  

Leading causes of death:

1. Diseases of the heart
2. Malignant neoplasms (cancer)
3. Cerebrovascular diseases (stroke)
4. Chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases
5. Accidents and adverse effects
6. Pneumonia and influenza
7. Diabetes mellitus
8. Suicide
9. Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome, and nephrosis (kidney disease)
10. Chronic liver disease
11. Septicemia
12. Alzheimer’s Disease
13. Homicide and legal intervention
14. Atherosclerosis
15. Hypertension with or without renal disease

Source: National Vital Statistics Report, Volume 47, No. 28, December 13, 1999

Life Expectancy at Birth for all races:

1900-1902	49.24 years
1909-1911	51.49 years
1919-1921	56.40 years
1929-1931	59.20 years
1939-1941	63.62 years
1949-1951	68.07 years
1959-1961	69.89 years
1969-1971	70.75 years
1979-1981	73.88 years
1989-1991	75.37 years
1997	76.5 years
1998	76.7 years

TOPIC: REGARDING CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE

Source: American Heart Association Website {8/1/2000}

• 59,700,000 Americans have one or more types of cardiovascular disease (CVD) according to current estimates.
• 1 in 3 males can expect to develop some major cardiovascular disease before age 60; the odds for women are 1 in 10.
• More than 2,600 Americans die each day of cardiovascular disease - an average of 1 death every 33 seconds.
• If all forms of major cardiovascular disease were eliminated, life expectancy would rise by almost 7 years; if all forms of cancer were eliminated, the gain would be 3 years. 
• The probability at birth of eventually dying from major cardiovascular disease is 47%; dying from cancer is 22%; dying from HIV/AIDS is 0.7%.
• From 1979 to 1997, the number of Americans discharged from short-stay hospitals with cardiovascular disease as the first listed diagnosis increased 25%.

TOPIC:  THE COST OF AMERICAN HEALTH CARE

Source: Office of Actuary, Health Care Financing Administration; National Health Expenditures Projections: 1998-2008: 

National health expenditures are projected to total $2.2 trillion and reach 16.2% of GDP [gross domestic product] by 2008. ... Growth in health spending is projected to average 1.8% above the growth rate of GDP for 1998-2008.”

Table 1. National Health Expenditures (billions):  

1970	1980	1990	1999	2000	2008
$73.2	$247.3	$699.4	$1,228.5	$1,316.2	$2,176.6

Table 6a: Hospital Care Expenditures (billions)

Year	Total	Total Private	Out-of Pocket	Private Health Insurance	Other Private Funds
1970	$28.0	$12.5	$2.5	$9.1	$0.9
1990	$256.4	$116.8	$11.1	$95.6	$10.2
Projected
1999	$401.3	$160.9	$13.4	$127.6	$19.9
2000	$424.0	$172.3	$14.1	$136.9	$21.3
2008	$659.5	$271.8	$21.4	$216.2	$34.3

Conglomerate of Table 7a Physician Services; Table 12a Prescription Drugs

			Projected:
	1970	1990	1999	2008
Total cost of:
Physician Services	$13.6	$45.2	$241.5	$416.1
Prescription Drugs	$5.5	$37.7	$100.6	$243.4

TOPIC:  WORLD HEALTH & THE BURDEN OF DISEASE

Source:  World Health Organization Report 2000

Category	Both Sexes (000)	Percentage Ranking
1. Communicable Diseases, Maternal & Perinatal Conditions & Nutritional Deficiencies	17,380	31.1%
2.  Noncommunicable Conditions	33,484	59.8%
Cardiovascular	16,970	30.3%
Cancer	7,065	12.6%
Diabetes	777	1.4%
Of the Cardiovascular:
Ischemic Heart Disease		12.7%
Cerebrovascular Disease		9.9%
Inflammatory Cardiovascular Disease		.8%
Rheumatic Heart Disease		.7%
3. Injuries	5,101	9.1%
TOTAL		100%