Coronary artery disease: disease burden and associated vascular presentations
THE CONTEXT
Coronary artery disease (CAD) is the commonest* cause of angina and acute coronary syndrome and the leading cause of death worldwide. It also substantially impairs quality of life.
Burden beyond mortality
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Disability-adjusted life years measure healthy years of life lost and indicate disease burden beyond deaths alone.
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The passage estimates that CAD accounts for 10% of disability-adjusted life years in low-income countries and 18% in high-income countries.
UK burden and geographical trends
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The passage reports that 1 in 3 men and 1 in 4 women in the UK die from CAD, approximately 188000 people have a myocardial infarct annually, and about 2.3 million people live with CAD.
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UK CAD death rates are described as among the highest in Western Europe, with more than 70000 deaths, but are falling, particularly in younger age groups.
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The passage states that UK CAD mortality has more than halved over 50 years, while CAD rates are rapidly rising in Eastern Europe and much of Asia.
Occult CAD in other vascular disease
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Occult CAD is common in patients presenting with other atherosclerotic vascular disease, such as intermittent claudication or stroke.
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CAD is an important cause of morbidity and mortality in these patients.