Prevalence of nonfatal coronary heart disease among American adults.
BACKGROUND
Few national estimates of the prevalence of coronary heart disease in the United States are available.


METHODS
By using data from the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (1988 to 1994), we estimated prevalence of angina pectoris by questionnaire, self-reported myocardial infarction, and electrocardiographically (ECG)-defined myocardial infarction.


RESULTS
Among participants aged >/=40 years who attended the medical examination, the age-adjusted prevalence of angina pectoris, self-reported myocardial infarction, and ECG-defined myocardial infarction were 5.8% of 9255, 6.7% of 9250, and 3.0% of 8206 participants, respectively. Among participants aged >/=65 years compared with those aged 40 to 64 years, the prevalence of a self-reported myocardial infarction was more than 3 times higher and that of ECG-defined myocardial infarction more than 4 times higher. The prevalences of self-reported myocardial infarction and ECG-defined myocardial infarction, but not angina pectoris, were higher among men than women. Among women, prevalence of angina pectoris and self-reported myocardial infarction were highest among blacks; among men, these coronary heart diseases were somewhat higher among whites. Prevalence of ECG-defined myocardial infarction were similar for all 3 race or ethnicity groups in either sex. The age-adjusted prevalence of coronary heart disease defined by the presence of any of these conditions was 13.9% among men and 10.1% among women.


CONCLUSIONS
Although the management of coronary heart disease has improved during the past 2 decades, it remains an important prevalent disease burden among adults.
Ford
E S
ES
Division of Nutrition and Physical Activity and the Division of Adult Community Health, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA 30341, USA. esf2@cdc.gov
Giles
W H
WH
Croft
J B
JB
D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D000787:Angina Pectoris / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D044383:Black People; D003327:Coronary Disease / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D004562:Electrocardiography; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D009749:Nutrition Surveys; D015995:Prevalence; D017678:Sex Distribution; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D044465:White People; D001741:Black or African American