Reduced Cardiovascular Disease Deaths in 21 Western Countries 1989-91 V 2013-154: What is the UK doing Right or What is the USA doing Wrong?

Abstract

Objectives: To compare UK Cardiovascular Disease Deaths (CDD) with twenty Other Western Countries (OWC). Design: Population-controlled-based study using WHO data on CDD people aged 55-74 and Age-Standardised-Death-Rates (ASDR) rates per million (pm) contrasts UK and OWC outcomes between 1989-2015 and World Bank % GDP Expenditure-on-Health (%GDPEH) data. Setting: Twenty-one Western Countries. Participants: National populations. Outcome measures: Reduced CDD for people aged 55-74 and ASDR confidence intervals determines statistical differences between UK and OWC over the period. Result: All countries substantially reduced CDD 55-74, highest current rates America at 3440pm, Finland 3197pm, Greece 3173 to lowest, France 1522pm, Australia 1634pm and Japan 1866pm. Previously UK was 4th highest but fell to 8th at 2524pm, significantly reducing CDD more than 15 OWC, though three had greater falls than Britain. ASDR fell substantially everywhere but the UK had second biggest reduction, significantly reducing total CDD deaths more than 15 OWC. Highest 1980-2015 average %GDPEH was USA at 12.7%, UK’s 7.6% was lowest suggesting British cardiac services achieved more with proportionately less. Conclusion: Improvements in primary and secondary prevention of cardiovascular disease occurred in every country, we speculate whether the UK success might be attributable to the Pan UK public health innovations, the National Service Framework (2000) to reduce myocardial infarction, and, National Framework for long term conditions (2005) but further research is required to identify the effective mechanisms. These results should be a morale boost for patients and their families and or all in the cardiac services, especially in the UK.