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Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. One in every three deaths is related to heart disease or stroke, accounting for 2,200 deaths each day. These shocking statistics underscore the importance of first responders staying up to date on the statistics and best practices for managing a heart or stroke patient in an emergency situation.

What are the heart and stroke statistics (2012) that you should be aware of?

A May 2012 NCHS Data Brief identified these five key findings as it pertains to hospitalization for strokes from 1989 to 2009.

1. Although the rate of stroke hospitalizations increased by 2.5 percent from 1989 to 1999, it has since decreased to 31.8 percent in 2009.
2. The number of hospitalizations due to stroke has been growing since 1989. That year, there were about 800,000 hospitalizations for stroke, while in 1999 and 2009, there were about 1 million patients hospitalized due to stroke. More than two-thirds of these hospitalizations were for patients aged 65 and over.
3. The stroke hospitalization rate from 1999 to 2009 decreased 20 percent for those aged 65-74 and for those aged 85 and over. It decreased 24 percent for those aged 75-84.
4. The average length of a hospital stay for stroke patients was similar in 1999 (5.4 days) and in 2009 (5.3 days). However, these hospital stays were significantly shorter than the 10.2-day average stay in 1989.
5. A smaller proportion of stroke patients died in the hospital in 2009 (5 percent) than 20 years earlier in 1989 (9 percent).

Despite the positive declines this data brief extracted, heart disease and stroke are still serious issues. First responders across the board should arm themselves with an acute stroke online course and other emergency care certification courses so they’re prepared to react quickly and effectively in an emergency.

AHA heart and stroke statistics (2012) give even more insight.

A lack of physical activity, smoking, an elevated body mass index (BMI) and other factors can all contribute to an individual’s risk of heart disease and stroke. The American Heart Association (AHA) heart and stroke statistics 2012 offer some insight into the gravity of this situation.

1. Nearly one-fifth of individuals in grades 9 through 12 report being current smokers; 19.8 percent of boys and 19.1 percent of girls. These numbers are slightly worse for adult men, 21.2 percent are smokers, and slightly better for adult women, 17.5 percent are smokers.
2. Only about one-third, 37 percent, of 9th through 12th graders meet the federal guidelines for physical activity, and this number only decreases as they age – 20.7 percent of adults meet the guidelines.
3. Obesity is a significant issue throughout the United States, as 68 percent of adults are overweight or obese and 32 percent of children (ages 2-19) are overweight or obese.

What does this mean for 2013?

The previous heart disease and stroke trends for adults reveal improvements in heart disease rates and stroke mortality and a higher prevalence of physical activity. However, the number of individuals who are considered overweight or obese continues to increase. Despite some improvements, the general outlook isn’t overly optimistic, underscoring the importance of proper heart disease and stroke certification for first responders.

Health Ed Solutions, the leading online provider of basic life support (BLS) training, advanced cardiac life support (ACLS) training and pediatric advanced life support (PALS) online training, has additional resources related to heart and stroke statistics and healthcare education in its research library at healthedsolutions.com.