Heart Disease

Cardiovascular disease (CVD), including heart disease and stroke, remains the leading cause of death in the United States despite improvements in prevention, detection, and treatment. CVD is no longer thought of as a disease that primarily affects men as they age. It is a killer of people in the prime of life, with more than half of all deaths occurring among women.
Cardiovascular diseases remain the leading cause of disability among working adults. Stroke alone accounts for the disability of more than a million Americans. The economic impact on the health system grows larger as the population ages. In 2001, the estimated cost of health care expenditures and lost productivity attributable to cardiovascular diseases was $298 billion.


http://www.health.state.ny.us/nysdoh/heart/heart_disease.htm