CVD epidemiology

Question 1

What main trend can be seen with IHD and incidence/prevalence?

Answer 1

That the incidence of people with IHD is decreasing, but the prevalence is increasing/staying similar due to the fact that the treatments are better and more people are living with IHD

Question 2

Why was smoking not a contributor to the early decline in CHD?

Answer 2

If you look at a lung cancer equivalent, and say thagt almost all lung cancers are due to smoking, there was an increased incidence of lung cancer during the first drop of CHD.

Question 3

Why was medical care likely not a contributor for the first drop in CHD?

Answer 3

If you look at england and wales their drop was 10-15 years later than NZ’s with a very similar standard of medical care

Question 4

Why was lower blood pressures not attributed to first drop?

Answer 4

Stroke started declining much before CHD assuming stroke is primarily caused by lower blood pressures

Question 5

The first drop was attributed to mainly what?

Answer 5

The reduction in intake of saturated fat! eg margarine intro in 1972. Knowledge of saturated fat being bad

Question 6

What is the second drop of CHD incidence attributed to?

Answer 6

Drugs like statins

Question 7

Main causes of CHD

Answer 7

1- high saturated fat diet/ high blood cholesterol
2- hypertension (salt BMI alcohol)
3-smoking

Question 8

What are the biggest influencers of population wide CVS health

Answer 8

legislation and taxation

also reformulation of food