Maine Cardiovascular Health

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What is cardiovascular disease?

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) refers to a variety of diseases and conditions affecting the heart and blood vessels. The two most common cardiovascular diseases are heart disease and stroke.

Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in Maine. About four out of every ten people in Maine die from CVD, which adds up to over 4,500 people each year.

The burden on the health care system to treat CVD is large; there are over 27,000 hospitalizations every year in Maine from CVD. These hospital stays are expensive! Cardiovascular disease accounts for about 25% of all Maine hospital costs. The good news is that CVD is largely preventable, so this is a health crisis we can solve.

The five diseases and conditions that the Maine Cardiovascular Health Program (MCVHP) focuses on are heart attack, stroke, high blood pressure (hypertension), pre-hypertension, and high blood cholesterol.

 

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