Home | Contact Us The MMWR is embargoed until Thursday, 12 PM
EST. Synopsis for February 20, 2004 Disparities in Premature
Deaths from Heart Disease — 50 States and the District of
Columbia, 2001 Premature deaths from heart disease are
unnecessary and can be avoided by preventing and/or modifying
the risk factors, which include high blood pressure, elevated
serum cholesterol levels, smoking, diabetes, physical
inactivity, and obesity. Given the proportion of deaths in those
younger than age 65, the high prevalence of the major risk
factors in the general population calls for aggressive efforts
in prevention strategies for heart disease in younger
populations. In 2001, one in six heart disease deaths in America
occurred in persons younger than age 65. Some groups experienced
higher proportions of early deaths. For example, one third of
all heart disease deaths were premature for American
Indians/Alaska Natives and African Americans, and nearly 1 in 4
were premature for Hispanics. Disparities in premature death