Trends in coronary heart disease mortality : the influence of medical care

The purpose of this book is to examine trends and variation in morbidity and mortality from CHD [coronary heart disease] in the United States and to assess the contribution that medical care has made to the decline in the past quarter of a century....Although this book examines the situation in the United States issues that it addresses are relevant to the practice of medicine wherever CHD is prevalent. In the following pages experts in epidemiology preventive and community medicine cardiology internal medicine and cardiovascular surgery review and evaluate evidence from vital statistics epidemiological observations clinical studies and randomized controlled trials. They also identify needs and opportunities for clinical and epidemiological research. Time trends and regional patterns of CHD and medical care are presented. The impact of diagnostic procedures and the contributions of medical care for risk factors and of out-of-hospital and in hospital management of acute myocardial infarction and chronic coronary disease are assessed. Mortality statistics for CHD are provided in an appendix. (EXCERPT)