Prevalence

"The total number of cases of a disease existing in a population at a specific point in time"

Information on CHD prevalence can be obtained from a number of sources such as the Scottish Health Survey report on Cardiovascular Disease 2003 and the Quality and Outcomes Framework. Both of these data sources provide high level estimates of prevalence. To get more detailed estimates by age and sex, ISD Scotland's CHD and Stroke Programme used SMR01 hospital data to identify patients treated in Scottish hospitals with a CHD diagnosis. These records were linked to the national CHI and the resulting data is a register of patients still alive with details of hospital treatment- e.g. history of angina, MI, CABG and angioplasty, together with details of age, sex, area deprivation score and which GP practice and Community Health Partnership they belong to.

Although Table PV1 shows only prevalence estimates and crude rates at CHP and health board level, the data is available at practice level for any practice who wishes this. The register data may provide a useful for check for practices against their Quality Outcomes Framework (QOF) registers.

Key Points:

• The estimated prevalence of CHD based on admission to hospital is 3.4% of the Scottish population. Prevalence is higher in males (4.1%) than in females (2.7%) and is strongly related to age.

• An estimated 16% of the Scottish population aged 75+ are living with CHD. In some CHPs over 25% of men aged 75+ have CHD.

• The highest all ages prevalence rate is in Western Isles CHP for men and in East Glasgow for females.

• The effect of deprivation on prevalence amongst the younger population can be seen in the 45-64 age group. The prevalence rate in males aged 45-64 in East Glasgow (10.2%) is more than twice that of the rate in Aberdeenshire CHP (4.9%). For females aged 45-64 the prevalence rate in North Glasgow CHP (5.6%) is over three times that in Shetland CHP (1.6%).

Analysis	Date last updated	Excel available	Size	National Statistics
Table PV1 CHD prevalence figures for Health Boards and CHPs from SMR01 linked data	30 October 2007		266KB	√