Diabetes, Cholesterol and Heart Disease Statistics

• Heart disease is the number one cause of death in America for both males and females

• Every 26 seconds, someone suffers a coronary event, and every minute, someone dies from one.

• 1.2 million heart attacks occur each year (700,000 of those are new)

• The estimated average number of years of life lost following a heart attack is 14.2 years

• 50% of men and 64% of women who died suddenly of heart disease had no previous symptoms

• 20.8 million Americans have diabetes

• 14.6 million have been diagnosed with diabetes, but nearly 1 in 3 are undiagnosed

• 10.3 million Americans with diabetes are over age 60 and older, nearly 21% of this group

• 41 million Americans have pre-diabetes (glucose levels are higher than normal but not high enough for a
diagnosis of type 2 diabetes). Pre-diabetes can be controlled to delay diabetes onset

• Diabetes and cardiovascular disease are strongly linked together

• Cholesterol is a soft, waxy substance found in the lipids, or fats, in the bloodstream and cells of the body. This
substance is formed from the foods we eat and from our liver

• Cholesterol does not dissolve in blood. It must be transported through the body by lipoproteins

• Low-density lipoprotein (LDL) is the major carrier of cholesterol in the body, carrying about 65%

• Too much LDL cholesterol in the blood can cause a build up on the artery walls

• LDL build up, when combined with other substances, can cause plaque to form on the artery walls, potentially
leading to blockages in those arteries (atherosclerosis)

• High-density lipoprotein (HDL) carries about 30% of the cholesterol in the body, carrying bad (LDL) cholesterol
away from the arteries to the liver

• High HDL levels seem to protect against heart attack and conversely, low HDL levels can increase the risk of
heart attack and stroke

• Triglycerides are the most common type of fat in the body. When combined with a low HDL and/or a high LDL,
triglycerides can help speed up the process of atherosclerosis

• In adults, total cholesterol levels of 240 mg/dL or higher are considered high, and levels from 200 to 239 mg/dL
are considered borderline-high

• 105.2 million Americans age 20 and older have total blood cholesterol levels of 200 milligrams per deciliter
(mg/dL) and higher (approximately 50 million are men and 55 million are women)

• Of this 105.2 million, 36.6 million have total blood cholesterol levels of 240 mg/dL or higher (approximately 17
million are men and 19 million are women)

• A 10 percent decrease in total cholesterol levels may result in an estimated 30 percent reduction in the incidence
of coronary heart disease

Sources:
Heart Disease and Stroke Statistics – 2006 Update, American Heart Association
National Diabetes Fact Sheet, 2005, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
www.americanheart.org
Heart and Stroke Facts, American Heart Association