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Analysing falls in coronary heart disease mortality in the West Bank between 1998 and 2009
Niveen M E Abu-Rmeileh1, Azza Shoaibi, Martin O'Flaherty
1Institute of Community and Public Health, Birzeit University, Ramallah, Occupied Palestinian Territory.
Insights
Coronary heart disease (CHD) mortality decreased by 20% in the West Bank from 1998-2009. Reductions in major risk factors like cholesterol, blood pressure, and smoking drove this decline, highlighting the impact of population-wide prevention.
Area of Science:
- Public Health
- Epidemiology
- Cardiovascular Disease Research
Background:
- Coronary heart disease (CHD) poses a significant global health challenge.
- Understanding mortality trends and risk factors is crucial for effective public health interventions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze trends in CHD mortality and associated risk factors in the West Bank between 1998 and 2009.
- To determine the contribution of risk factor changes versus medical treatments to CHD mortality reduction.
Main Methods:
- A modeling study utilizing the CHD IMPACT model.
- Data from national/local surveys, WHO statistics on population, mortality, treatments, and risk factors were analyzed.
- Previously validated CHD model used for data integration and analysis.
Main Results:
- CHD death rates declined by 20% in the West Bank (1998-2009).
- Key risk factors like smoking, blood pressure, and total cholesterol decreased, while BMI and diabetes increased.
- Over two-thirds of the mortality reduction was attributed to risk factor decreases; treatments contributed approximately one-third.
Conclusions:
- CHD mortality significantly decreased in the West Bank, primarily driven by reduced major risk factors.
- Population-wide primary prevention strategies focusing on risk factor reduction are highly effective.
- The impact of risk factor reduction on saving lives surpasses that of individual patient treatments.
Objectives:
To analyse coronary heart disease (CHD) mortality and risk factor trends in the West Bank, occupied Palestinian territory between 1998 and 2009.
Design:
Modelling study using CHD IMPACT model.
Setting:
The West Bank, occupied Palestinian territory.
Participants:
Data on populations, mortality, patient groups and numbers, treatments and cardiovascular risk factor trends were obtained from national and local surveys, routine national and WHO statistics, and critically appraised. Data were then integrated and analysed using a previously validated CHD model.
Primary And Secondary Outcome Measures:
CHD deaths prevented or postponed are the main outcome.
Results:
CHD death rates fell by 20% in the West Bank, between 1998 and 2009. Smoking prevalence was initially high in men, 51%, but decreased to 42%. Population blood pressure levels and total cholesterol levels also decreased. Conversely, body mass index rose by 1-2 kg/m(2) and diabetes increased by 2-8%. Population modelling suggested that more than two-thirds of the mortality fall was attributable to decreases in major risk factors, mainly total cholesterol, blood pressure and smoking. Approximately one-third of the CHD mortality decreases were attributable to treatments, particularly for secondary prevention and heart failure. However, the contributions from statins, surgery and angioplasty were consistently small.
Conclusions:
CHD mortality fell by 20% between 1998 and 2009 in the West Bank. More than two-third of this fall was due to decreases in major risk factors, particularly total cholesterol and blood pressure. Our results clearly indicate that risk factor reductions in the general population compared save substantially more lives to specific treatments for individual patients. This emphasizes the importance of population-wide primary prevention strategies.
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