Washington, Aug. 6

(Bloomberg) -- Death rates in the battle against heart disease, the biggest U.S. killer, have been cut in half since 1950, becoming ``one of the most important public health achievements of the 20th century,'' according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

There are now 621,000 fewer deaths each year from heart disease, compared with the expected number based on heart disease rates at their 1963 peak, according to government figures, which said death rates dropped 56 percent.

The CDC, in its weekly ``Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report,'' credited the improvement to better medical care and improvements in American health habits stemming from decades-old campaigns urging people to stop smoking, eat better and seek treatment for heart problems.

Public health interventions to reduce heart disease ``have benefited from a combination of the `high-risk' approach, aimed at persons with increased risk, and the population-wide approach, aimed at lowering risk for the entire community,'' the report said.

Other Improvements:
The same factors that have pushed down death rates from heart disease also helped lower deaths from stroke, which have declined 70 percent, from 88.8 strokes per 100,000 people to 26.5, between 1950 and 1996. Stroke is the No. 3 cause of death in the U.S.

Cigarette smoking among adults fell from 42 percent to 25 percent between 1965 and 1995, according to the CDC. In addition, Americans are eating less saturated fat and cholesterol. Those at risk for heart problems are getting better medical care and more people with high blood pressure are receiving treatment, lowering the incidence of stroke. Improved coronary care units in hospitals are helping those who do have a heart attack or stroke live longer.  

The CDC said a continued drop in cardiovascular disease death was possible, though the report noted that ``trends for some important indicators have not improved substantially.'' Specifically, the CDC pointed to the large number of people with high blood pressure who are still not receiving treatment, the increased risk for patients who have survived a heart attack or stroke and the growing number of children and adults who are obese.

Aug/06/1999   9:42