Prevention & lipids

Trends in cardiovascular disease incidence among 22 million people in the UK over 20 years: population based study

BMJPublished Population based study

An erratum to this article was published (BMJ, 28 Oct 2024 ↗)

Main findingResult — go to the resultIncidence rate ratio 0.80 95% CI 0.73–0.88

Authors' conclusion

Despite substantial improvements in the prevention of atherosclerotic diseases in the UK, the overall burden of CVDs remained high during 2000-19.

Study context

Population
Individuals registered with a general practice (Clinical Practice Research Datalink), UK, newly diagnosed with ≥1 cardiovascular disease (CVD), 1 January 2000 to 30 June 2019
Participants
1,650,052 individuals
Comparison
Trends 2017-19 vs 2000-02; most vs least deprived
Outcome
Incident diagnosis of CVD (composite of 10 CVDs:
  • ACS
  • Aortic aneurysm
  • AS
  • AF or flutter
  • Chronic ischaemic heart disease
  • HF
  • PAD
  • Second or third degree heart block
  • Stroke
  • VTE)
  • Age
  • Sex standardised
Follow-up
2000-19
Methodological detailsMean age 70.5 years; 47.6% (n=784 904) women
  • Mean age 70.5 years; 47.6% (n=784 904) women

Main finding

As reported in the abstract

Incidence rate ratio

0.80

95% CI 0.73–0.88

2017-19vs 2000-02
IRR 0.80 (95% CI 0.73–0.88)

Further findings

OutcomeIRR (CI)
Incidence of ACS, chronic ischaemic heart disease and stroke2017-19vs 2000-02ACS0.70 (0.69–0.70)
Incidence of ACS, chronic ischaemic heart disease and stroke2017-19vs 2000-02Chronic ischaemic heart disease0.67 (0.66–0.67)
Incidence of ACS, chronic ischaemic heart disease and stroke2017-19vs 2000-02Stroke0.75 (0.67–0.83)
Socioeconomic gradient (most vs least deprived)Most deprivedvs Least deprivedPAD1.98 (1.87–2.09)
Socioeconomic gradient (most vs least deprived)Most deprivedvs Least deprivedACS1.55 (1.54–1.57)
Socioeconomic gradient (most vs least deprived)Most deprivedvs Least deprivedHF1.50 (1.41–1.59)

Incidence of ACS, chronic ischaemic heart disease and stroke

Increasing diagnoses of cardiac arrhythmias, valve disease and thromboembolic diseases
CHD decline largely restricted to age >60 years, little or no improvement in younger age groups
Trends generally similar between men and women

Socioeconomic gradient (most vs least deprived)

Gradient observed for almost every CVD and did not decrease over time

Original publication

Trends in cardiovascular disease incidence among 22 million people in the UK over 20 years: population based study. BMJ. Published 26 June 2024. doi:10.1136/bmj-2023-078523

Composed by AI from the published abstract and checked against it. How Briefs are made →

Get them every week

New studies on this topic in My Week and in your Monday e-mail.

We e-mail you a sign-in link and a code. No password, no spam.