News and Updates

Statistical Publication Notice

(30 October 2007)

Coronary Heart Disease statistics update

INTRODUCTION

This release includes :

• incidence and mortality data for year ending 31 December 2006 and trends since year ending 31 December 1997
• an annual update of figures on the number and rates of heart disease operations up to year ending 31 March 2007
• an update on median waiting times for CHD-related procedures
• an annual update on GP prescribing with trends from year ending 31 December 1997 to year ending 31 December 2006
• an annual update on hospital activity from year ending 31 March 1998 to year ending 31 March 2007

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KEY POINTS

• The under 75 death rate from CHD (standardised by age) fell by 8.4% (from 67.5 deaths per 100,000 population for year ending 31 December 2005 to 61.8 deaths per 100,000 population for year ending 31 December 2006).  If this trend continues, the target of a 60% reduction from 1995 to 2010 would be met
• Between 2005 and 2006 the incidence rate for CHD (total number of people diagnosed with CHD per 100,000 population, standardised by age and sex) decreased by 8.4%. (from 335.7 cases per 100,000 population for year ending 31 March 2005 to 307.5 cases per 100,000 population.
• The total number of revascularisation procedures (coronary artery bypass grafts (CABG) and coronary angioplasties) performed by NHSScotland has fallen slightly from 8,262 for year ending 31 March 2006 to 7,898 for year ending 31 March 2007, a decrease of 4.4%. Although numbers of CABGs have been falling since 2001 this is the first time overall numbers of coronary angioplasties have fallen in recent years.  Although the numbers of non-elective angioplasties rose from 2,962 for year ending 31 March 2006 to 3,156 for year ending 31 March 2007, a rise of 6.6%, this was not enough to offset the decline in elective numbers from 2,922 for year ending 31 March 2006 to 2,623 for year ending 31 March 2007.
• From year ending 31 March 2006 to year ending 31 March 2007 the number of emergency admissions for acute myocardial infarction (AMI or heart attack) fell by 8.0%, the largest year on year fall since 2000.
• From year ending 31 December 2005 to year ending 31 December 2006 the number of prescriptions dispensed for cardiovascular-related drugs (CHD and stroke) continued to rise although the overall cost fell.

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GLOSSARY

CHD – coronary heart disease.  A group of conditions that includes acute myocardial infarction, angina and heart failure.

IHD – ischaemic heart disease.  Another name for coronary heart disease.

AMI – acute myocardial infarction, commonly known as a heart attack

CABG – coronary artery bypass graft. An operation in which a blood vessel from another part of the body is grafted between the aorta (the main artery leading from the heart) and the coronary artery, or arteries, to bypass blockages and restore blood flow to the heart muscle

Heart failure – failure of the heart as a pump, the commonest cause being coronary heart disease.

Angiography - Under the guidance of an x-ray camera, a long, thin tube is threaded into the coronary arteries via a blood vessel in the groin or arm. A dye, which can be seen on the x-ray screen, is then injected, showing the pattern of the coronary arteries, and demonstrating where the artery is narrowed

Angioplasty – an operation performed to treat coronary heart disease that involves passing a thin, hollow tube up into the coronary arteries, under x-ray guidance, from an artery in the groin or arm (under local anaesthetic.) A device on the tube is then used to unblock the artery, and stretch the artery walls so that more blood and oxygen can flow to the heart muscle

PTCA – percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty. The full name for an angioplasty.

PCI - percutaneous coronary intervention.

Revascularisation – inclusive term referring to CABG and angioplasty procedures

Angina pectoris – recurrent chest pain as a result of coronary heart disease

ACS – acute coronary syndrome

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INTERPRETATION

Data for year ending 31 March 2007 are provisional.

MAIN CONTACTS:

PRE-RELEASE ACCESS TO THIS PUBLICATION WAS GIVEN TO:

HISTORY OF THIS PUBLICATION:

Last Published:  October 2006
Next Due:  October 2008
Most data is included within a time series for the previous decade.

Main contact: Adam Redpath

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