Heart Attack Rates Decline, But Obesity and Diabetes Reverses Trend

Heart Attack Rates Decline, But Obesity and Diabetes Reverses Trend: A study from the Kaiser Permanente health system found that heart attack rates peaked about 10 years ago and have declined steadily ever since -- for a 24% drop overall. About 287 people per 100,000 had heart attacks in 2000. By 2008, the rate had dropped to 208 heart attacks per 100,000. Deaths from heart attacks also declined. Over the same period, the use of drugs to treat high blood pressure and high cholesterol increased quite a bit. But the gains could be shortlived. An accompanying commentary points out that in the last decade the prevalence of Type 2 diabetes has increased by almost a percentage point. Over the same period, obesity has increased by three percentage points. NEJM June 2010