KDHE Home - News 2000 - News Release
Kansas
Department of Health & Environment
Bill Graves, Governor
Clyde D. Graeber, Secretary
For Immediate Release
Contact: Sharon Watson, 785-296-5795
Rate of Deadly Disease Falls Substantially in Past Decade, Report Shows
The death rate from one of Kansas' leading killers, coronary artery disease (CAD), fell substantially during the past decade, according to a recently published report from the Kansas Department of Health and Environment, Bureau of Health Promotion in Topeka. The new report, Healthy Kansans 2000 Mid-course Review, found that the age-adjusted death rate in Kansas due to CAD dropped 13 percent from 97.1 deaths per 100,000 Kansans in 1990 to 84.4 per 100,000 in 1998, according to Kansas Vital Statistics and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data.
In 1997, the overall U.S. death rate from CAD was 100 deaths per 100,000 persons, compared with Kansas' 1997 CAD death rate of 86.4 deaths per 100,000. Coronary artery disease- or atherosclerosis- refers to the build-up of plaque in the blood vessels which feed the heart.
Despite progress in lowering the CAD death rate, the report cautions against prematurely declaring victory in the fight against heart disease in Kansas. Heart disease continues to kill more Kansans each year than any other cause. In addition, the CAD death rate among certain groups- such as African-Americans and rural Kansans- remains higher than that of the general population.
The report also warns that the increasing proportion of overweight and physically inactive Kansans is an unfavorable trend for continued progress in lowering the overall CAD death rate. Overweight and physical inactivity are important risk factors for the development of heart disease. Other risk factors include tobacco smoking, high blood pressure and elevated serum cholesterol.
The Healthy Kansans initiative is a collaborative effort by medical, business, academic and government professionals to identify preventable health problems in the state, establish health objectives and improve the well-being of all Kansans. For more information on the Healthy Kansans 2000 Mid-course Review, contact the KDHE Bureau of Health Promotion at (785) 291-3742.
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