County-Level Variation Seen in Cardiovascular Disease Mortality

THURSDAY, Oct. 15, 2026 (HealthDay News) -- From 2000 to 2019, there was a decrease in overall cardiovascular disease (CVD) mortality, with wide variation among U.S. counties, according to a study published online Oct. 7 in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.George A. Mensah, M.D., from the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Maryland, and colleagues used small-area estimation methods and death certificate data from the U.S. National Vital Statistics System to estimate age-standardized mortality rates (ASMRs) for five racial and/or ethnic groups, 3,110 counties, and 21 causes of CVD death over 20 years (2000 to 2019).The researchers found that for total CVD, the ASMR was 237.8 deaths per 100,000 in 2019. For total CVD and 12 of 17 detailed CVD causes, mortality was highest for the Black population and lowest for the Asian population for total CVD and for 13 of 17 detailed causes. Mortality declined for total CVD and for 12 of 17 causes from 2000 to 2019 and increased for three detailed causes. There was wide variation in mortality among counties, both within and among racial and/or ethnic populations. Considerable variation was seen in spatial mortality patterns by CVD cause and by race/ethnicity."For clinical practice, these findings point to the value of integrating local epidemiology into risk assessment, outreach and care delivery," Mensah said in a statement. "Health systems and clinicians need to align prevention strategies with the dominant local causes and the populations experiencing the greatest burden."Abstract/Full Text.Sign up for our weekly HealthDay newsletter

County-Level Variation Seen in Cardiovascular Disease Mortality

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