Heart Disease Mortality Data Trends for 2000-2008 DS 10-10002
Sex Differences Within Race/Ethnic Groups
Heart disease was the leading cause of death for most race/ethnic groups regardless of sex during the study period with the following exceptions where cancer death rates exceeded those for heart disease:
• For American Indian females in 2002 and 2007.
• For Asian males from 2004 through 2008.
• For Asian females in all study years.
• For Hispanic females from 2006 through 2008.
• Heart disease and cancer alternated as the leading cause of death for Pacific Islander females and females of Two or More Races during the study period.
• For males of Two or More Races in 2007.
The chart below displays age-adjusted heart disease death rates by sex and race/ethnicity for the years 2000 through 2008.
Age-adjusted heart disease death rates were generally higher for females than males within the same race/ethnic group. Black males had the highest age-adjusted rates among males, and Black females had the highest rates among females. Males and Females of Two or More Races had the lowest age-adjusted heart disease death rates over the period.
Both sexes within all race/ethnic groups with the exception of Two or More Races demonstrated statistically significant downward trends during the study period. Males of Two or More Races showed a statistically significant increase and females of Two or More Races did not exhibit a statistically significant trend.
Annual age-adjusted heart disease death rates by sex and race/ethnicity are shown in Table 3 (PDF)
.
On average, men died earlier from heart disease than women in all race/ethnic groups. Pacific Islander males had the lowest average age of heart disease death and died an average of more than 20 years earlier than White women, the longest surviving group. The average ages of heart disease death by sex and race/ethnicity for 2000 through 2008 were as follows:
• American Indian: males 67.1 years, females 74.8 years.
• Asian: males 74.6 years, females 80.9 years.
• Black: males 67.5 years, females 75.1 years.
• Hispanic: males 69.6 years, females 77.8 years.
• Pacific Islander: males 62.6 years, females 69.2 years.
• Two or More Races: males 66.9 years, females 75.3 years.
• White: males 76.0 years, females 83.4 years.
The percentage of deaths that occurred to people under age 75 varied by sex and race/ethnicity, and some groups experienced more deaths at younger ages than other groups. Specifically, the proportion of heart disease deaths before age 75 was:
• More than 75 percent among Pacific Islander males.
• Between 50 and 75 percent among American Indian males, Black males, Hispanic males, males of Two or More Races, and Pacific Islander females.
• Between 25 and 50 percent among Asian males, White males, American Indian females, Black females, Hispanic females, and females of Two or More Races.
• Less than 25 percent among Asian females and White females.
The charts below show the age distribution of heart disease deaths by sex and race/ethnicity.
The risk of dying from heart disease increases with age. Age-specific death rates for all race/ethnic categories grouped by sex were generally higher in older age groups. Annual age specific heart disease death rates by sex and race/ethnic group are displayed in Table 2b (PDF) for males and Table 2c (PDF) for females.
Annual heart disease crude death rates by sex and race/ethnic group are also presented in Table 2b (PDF) for males and Table 2c (PDF) for females under the “All Ages” column.
See the Technical Notes for information about rate calculation and trend analysis.