Search

Background: N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-pro-BNP), a commonly used marker of cardiac function, is associated with presence of stroke symptoms and is a strong risk factor for future atrial fibrillation, stroke and mortality. Little data are available on the association between NT-pro-BNP levels and stroke recurrence. Objective: We studied the relationship between NT-proBNP with the risk of future ischemic stroke across a spectrum of pre-existing cerebrovascular conditions, ranging from history of stroke symptoms, to prior transient ischemic attack (TIA), to prior stroke. Methods: The Reasons for Geographic and Racial Differences in Stroke (REGARDS) cohort enrolled 30 239 black and white Americans age 45 years and older in 2003-14. Among a case-cohort study sample including 1109 stroke cases and a 4311-person cohort random sample, we calculated hazard ratios of future ischemic stroke by baseline NT-proBNP stratified by presence of prior cerebrovascular conditions. Results: In the cohort sample, there were 3056 participants without any history of cerebrovascular disease, 738 with prior stroke symptoms, 196 with history of TIA and 338 with history of prior stroke. In a fully adjusted model, elevated NT-proBNP was associated with risk of stroke in participants without a pre-existing cerebrovascular condition (HR 2.32, 95% CI 1.84, 2.94), and in participants with a history of stroke symptoms (HR 1.67 95% CI 1.01, 2.78) or TIA (HR 2.66, 95% CI 1.00, 7.04), but not among those with prior stroke (HR 1.26, 95% CI 0.71, 2.21). Conclusions: These findings further support the potential for NT-proBNP testing to identify patients who are at highest risk for future stroke, although not in those with prior stroke.

Summary Background We previously reported the 5-year results of the phase 3 IBCSG 23-01 trial comparing disease-free survival in patients with breast cancer with one or more micrometastatic (≤2 mm) sentinel nodes randomly assigned to either axillary dissection or no axillary dissection. The results showed no difference in disease-free survival between the groups and showed non-inferiority of no axillary dissection relative to axillary dissection. The current analysis presents the results of the study after a median follow-up of 9·7 years (IQR 7·8–12·7). Methods In this multicentre, randomised, controlled, open-label, non-inferiority, phase 3 trial, participants were recruited from 27 hospitals and cancer centres in nine countries. Eligible women could be of any age with clinical, mammographic, ultrasonographic, or pathological diagnosis of breast cancer with largest lesion diameter of 5 cm or smaller, and one or more metastatic sentinel nodes, all of which were 2 mm or smaller and with no extracapsular extension. Patients were randomly assigned (1:1) before surgery (mastectomy or breast-conserving surgery) to no axillary dissection or axillary dissection using permuted blocks generated by a web-based congruence algorithm, with stratification by centre and menopausal status. The protocol-specified primary endpoint was disease-free survival, analysed in the intention-to-treat population (as randomly assigned). Safety was assessed in all randomly assigned patients who received their allocated treatment (as treated). We did a one-sided test for non-inferiority of no axillary dissection by comparing the observed hazard ratios (HRs) for disease-free survival with a margin of 1·25. This 10-year follow-up analysis was not prespecified in the trial's protocol and thus was not adjusted for multiple, sequential testing. This trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT00072293. Findings Between April 1, 2001, and Feb 8, 2010, 6681 patients were screened and 934 randomly assigned to no axillary dissection (n=469) or axillary dissection (n=465). Three patients were ineligible and were excluded from the trial after randomisation. Disease-free survival at 10 years was 76·8% (95% CI 72·5–81·0) in the no axillary dissection group, compared with 74·9% (70·5–79·3) in the axillary dissection group (HR 0·85, 95% CI 0·65–1·11; log-rank p=0·24; p=0·0024 for non-inferiority). Long-term surgical complications included lymphoedema of any grade in 16 (4%) of 453 patients in the no axillary dissection group and 60 (13%) of 447 in the axillary dissection group, sensory neuropathy of any grade in 57 (13%) in the no axillary dissection group versus 85 (19%) in the axillary dissection group, and motor neuropathy of any grade (14 [3%] in the no axillary dissection group vs 40 [9%] in the axillary dissection group). One serious adverse event (postoperative infection and inflamed axilla requiring hospital admission) was attributed to axillary dissection; the event resolved without sequelae. Interpretation The findings of the IBCSG 23-01 trial after a median follow-up of 9·7 years (IQR 7·8–12·7) corroborate those obtained at 5 years and are consistent with those of the 10-year follow-up analysis of the Z0011 trial. Together, these findings support the current practice of not doing an axillary dissection when the tumour burden in the sentinel nodes is minimal or moderate in patients with early breast cancer. Funding International Breast Cancer Study Group.

Background: Over 9 million dual-eligible beneficiaries rely on both Medicare and Medicaid to obtain critical medical services. Medicaid serves as a safety net for low-income Medicare beneficiaries with limited assets; however, it is unknown whether dual-eligible patients have comparable outcomes for procedures to non-dual-eligible Medicare beneficiaries. We compared outcomes by dual-eligible status for patients undergoing carotid endarterectomy (CEA). Methods: We identified Medicare fee-for-service beneficiaries aged ≥65y who underwent CEA (ICD-9 38.12) from 2003-2010. Beneficiaries with ≥1m of Medicaid coverage were considered dual eligible. We fit mixed models with a random intercept for state and adjustment for demographics, comorbidities, and symptomatic status to assess the relationship between dual-eligible status and outcomes. Results: A total of 35,832 dual-eligible and 470,134 non-dual-eligible beneficiaries were hospitalized for CEA during the study period. The percentage of dual-eligible CEA patients decreased from 7.9% in 2003 to 6.7% in 2010. Dual eligibles were more likely to be younger, female, of nonwhite race, and living with comorbid conditions (e.g., heart failure, renal failure, diabetes) and symptomatic carotid disease. Dual eligibles had higher 30d composite outcomes including stroke (Table), but the associations with 1y stroke became nonsignificant from 2003-2010. Dual-eligible status was associated with higher 30d and 1y mortality after CEA throughout the study period. Conclusions: Dual-eligible Medicare-Medicaid beneficiaries had worse short-term stroke and mortality outcomes than other beneficiaries, even after adjustment for comorbidities. Our results indicate a need to understand factors contributing to poorer outcomes. Challenges include the split accountability between the two programs and the diverse sociodemographics, clinical characteristics, and generally poorer health of the patients.

Introduction: Statins have been shown to decrease cardiovascular disease morbidity and mortality. Although statins have proven efficacious in reducing the risk of recurrent stroke, little is known about adherence among older adults following ischemic stroke. Methods: We compiled a retrospective cohort of Caucasian and African-American Medicare beneficiaries in the 5% sample to estimate statin adherence among older adults initiating therapy following hospitalization for ischemic stroke in 2007 - 2011. To be included, beneficiaries were required to have 365 days of Medicare fee-for-service coverage with no claims for stroke-related events or statins prior to the index stroke event. The cohort was limited to beneficiaries with an initial Part D claim for a statin within 30 days plus at least 1 additional claim during follow-up. Adherence was determined by percent of days covered (PDC) for the 365 days following discharge home (time spent in rehabilitation or skilled nursing was excluded); non-adherence was defined as a PDC Results: Among 6,251 statin-naïve beneficiaries with stroke, 2,070 (33.1%) initiated statin therapy and were included in the analysis. Among them, 13.1% (n=271) were African American. African Americans were more likely than Caucasians to have a PDC Conclusions: African Americans may not be obtaining the recurrent stroke prevention therapy provided by statins, possibly contributing to the higher rate of recurrent stroke in this population.

Purpose: The safety of revascularization for asymptomatic carotid stenosis, and the efficacy of medical therapy for stroke prevention have improved. Therefore, results of prior randomized trials may not apply to current treatment decisions. The NINDS-funded CREST-2 will compare carotid endarterectomy and intensive medical therapy (IMT) versus IMT alone (n=1240), and carotid stenting and IMT versus IMT alone (n=1240) in asymptomatic patients with≥70% stenosis. Materials & Methods: CREST-2 consists of two parallel randomized clinical trials to be conducted at a target of ≈120 centers, including within NINDS StrokeNet. The composite primary outcome is stroke or death during the peri-procedural period or ipsilateral ischemic stroke thereafter up to 4 years. Blinded assessment of cognition will be done periodically. Centrally directed IMT includes tight control of blood pressure (systolic target Results: As of June 12, 2015, 94 centers have been approved by the Site Selection Committee. Credentialing is ongoing, with 198 approved surgeons and 64 approved interventionists; 124 additional conditionally approved interventionists will be able to submit additional cases for review under the CREST-2 Registry. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid will offer CAS reimbursement for Registry enrollees. As of June 12, 2015, there are 39 actively enrolling centers, and 37 patients have been randomized. Conclusion: CREST-2 is designed to identify the best approach for asymptomatic carotid stenosis. The first patient was randomized in December, 2014. An update will be provided regarding the numbers of patients randomized, centers certified, as well as surgeons and interventionists fully approved. Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02089217

Introduction: The association of DHEAS with coronary risk has been extensively studied, but little information is available on stroke risk. DHEAS levels are lower with stroke risk factors such as atrial fibrillation, arterial stiffness and atherosclerosis, but only one paper evaluated stroke risk and showed an inverse association of DHEAS and stroke risk in female nurses. Hypothesis: We assessed the hypothesis that lower DHEAS level is associated with increased ischemic stroke risk. Methods: REGARDS enrolled 30,239 US participants aged 45 and older in 2003-07 (41% black, 59% white, 55% living in the southeastern stroke belt). Baseline serum DHEAS was measured in 1,578 participants; 963 in a cohort random sample and 544 with first-time ischemic stroke during 5.4 years of follow up. Cox proportional hazard models with weights to account for the case cohort design were used to calculate hazard ratios (HR) of stroke by quartiles of DHEAS levels. Results: DHEAS was significantly lower with older age, white race, female sex, and history of heart disease. DHEAS in the first compared to the fourth quartile was associated with increased risk of stroke (HR 1.7, CI: 1.2-2.4), although this association was not present after adjusting for age (or other stroke risk factors: HR 1.0, CI: 0.7-1.6). These findings were similar in men and women. Stratifying on age, as shown in the table, in those 65 years (HR 0.8, CI: 0.5-1.4). Conclusion: There was no overall association of lower DHEAS and stroke risk in this bi-racial cohort of men and women from across the US, although a possible difference by age was observed. More research is needed to determine association of DHEAS with stroke risk.

Background: Recently, it has been shown that atrial fibrillation (AF) is an independent risk factor for end-stage renal disease (ESRD) among persons with chronic kidney disease (CKD). However, the association between AF and incident ESRD has not been examined in the general population. Methods: A total of 25,315 study participants (mean age 65 ± 9.0 years; 54% women; 40% blacks) from the REasons for Geographic and Racial Differences in Stroke (REGARDS) study were included in this analysis. AF was identified in study participants at baseline (2003- 2007) by the study electrocardiogram and self-reported history of a physician diagnosis. Incident cases of ESRD were identified through linkage of REGARDS participants with the United States Renal Data System. Cox proportional-hazards regression was used to generate hazard ratios (HR) and 95% confidence intervals (95%CI) for the association between ESRD and AF. Results: A total of 2,190 (8.7%) participants had AF at baseline. Over a median follow-up of 7.7 years, 295 (1.2%) participants developed ESRD. In multivariable adjusted models, AF was associated with an increased risk of incident ESRD (Table 1). However, the association between AF and ESRD became non-significant after adjustment for baseline markers of CKD. Similar results were obtained when albumin-to-creatinine ratio was included in the model as a continuous variable (log-transformed). An interaction between AF and CKD was not detected. Conclusion: AF is associated with an increased risk of ESRD in the general population. However, this association potentially is explained by underlying CKD.

Objective: Fibroblast growth factor 23 (FGF23) is a hormone that regulates phosphorus and vitamin D metabolism. Elevated levels of FGF23 are strongly associated with heart disease and death, particularly in persons with chronic kidney disease (CKD). Whether FGF23 is also associated with stroke risk is unclear. Methods: Using a case cohort design we examined the association of plasma FGF23 with incident stroke in the REasons for Geographic and Racial Differences in Stroke (REGARDS) study, a cohort of black and white participants from across the United States. Baseline assessment occurred between 2003 and 2007. All physician-adjudicated stroke cases through July 1, 2011 were included in the analysis. Using stored samples, FGF23 was measured on 610 stroke cases and 939 cohort members, all of whom were stroke-free at baseline. The cohort random sample was selected to ensure approximately equal numbers of black and white participants and an equal distribution across ages. We used Cox proportional hazards models weighted back to the original 30,239 participants sampled by the REGARDS study to account for oversampling of stroke cases. Results: Participants were followed for a mean of 4.4 years. Higher FGF23 was associated with older age, female sex, lower socioeconomic status, diabetes, and CKD (estimated glomerular filtration rate < 60 ml/min or urinary albumin to creatinine ratio ≥ 30 mg/g). After adjustment for age, race, sex, education, diabetes, hypertension, smoking, atrial fibrillation, heart disease, physical activity, calcium, phosphorus, and serum vitamin D, higher FGF23 levels were associated with greater risk of incident stroke (HR per doubling of FGF23=1.19; 95%CI=1.03, 1.37). After further adjustment for CKD, this association was attenuated and no longer statistically significant (HR per doubling of FGF23=1.06, 95%CI 0.90, 1.25). Discussion: Higher FGF23 is associated with greater risk of stroke, but this association is largely explained by CKD.

It is unknown whether long-standing disparities in incidence of coronary heart disease (CHD) among US blacks and whites persist.To examine incident CHD by black and white race and by sex.Prospective cohort study of 24,443 participants without CHD at baseline from the Reasons for Geographic and Racial Differences in Stroke (REGARDS) cohort, who resided in the continental United States and were enrolled between 2003 and 2007 with follow-up through December 31, 2009.Expert-adjudicated total (fatal and nonfatal) CHD, fatal CHD, and nonfatal CHD (definite or probable myocardial infarction [MI]; very small non-ST-elevation MI [NSTEMI] had peak troponin level0.5 μg/L).Over a mean (SD) of 4.2 (1.5) years of follow-up, 659 incident CHD events occurred (153 in black men, 138 in black women, 254 in white men, and 114 in white women). Among men, the age-standardized incidence rate per 1000 person-years for total CHD was 9.0 (95% CI, 7.5-10.8) for blacks vs 8.1 (95% CI, 6.9-9.4) for whites; fatal CHD: 4.0 (95% CI, 2.9-5.3) vs 1.9 (95% CI, 1.4-2.6), respectively; and nonfatal CHD: 4.9 (95% CI, 3.8-6.2) vs 6.2 (95% CI, 5.2-7.4). Among women, the age-standardized incidence rate per 1000 person-years for total CHD was 5.0 (95% CI, 4.2-6.1) for blacks vs 3.4 (95% CI, 2.8-4.2) for whites; fatal CHD: 2.0 (95% CI, 1.5-2.7) vs 1.0 (95% CI, 0.7-1.5), respectively; and nonfatal CHD: 2.8 (95% CI, 2.2-3.7) vs 2.2 (95% CI, 1.7-2.9). Age- and region-adjusted hazard ratios for fatal CHD among blacks vs whites was near 2.0 for both men and women and became statistically nonsignificant after multivariable adjustment. The multivariable-adjusted hazard ratio for incident nonfatal CHD for blacks vs whites was 0.68 (95% CI, 0.51-0.91) for men and 0.81 (95% CI, 0.58-1.15) for women. Of the 444 nonfatal CHD events, 139 participants (31.3%) had very small NSTEMIs.The higher risk of fatal CHD among blacks compared with whites was associated with cardiovascular disease risk factor burden. These relationships may differ by sex.

Background: The American Heart Association has developed Life’s Simple 7 (LS-7) as a measure of cardiovascular health. In a recent study, LS-7 showed a graded relationship with cardiovascular disease incidence. The association of LS-7 with incident stroke has not been reported previously. Methods: We analyzed data from REGARDS, a national population-based cohort of 30,239 blacks and whites, aged ≥ 45 years of age, sampled from US population between 2003 and 2007. Data for LS-7 was collected by telephone, mail questionnaires, and an in-home exam. Participants were contacted every 6 months for possible stroke, which was validated by physicians using medical record review. LS-7 components (blood pressure, cholesterol, glucose, BMI, smoking, physical activity, diet) were each coded as: poor (1 point), intermediate (2 points) and ideal (3 points). An overall LS-7 score, created by summing the 7 component scores (possible range: 7 to 21), was categorized as: highest (17–21), medium (12–16) and lowest (7–11) cardiovascular health. Cox regression was used to model LS-7 score categories with stroke events. Results: There were 22,914 participants with data on LS-7 and no previous CVD. Mean age was 65 years, 40% were black, and 55% female. Over 4.9 years of follow-up, there were 432 incident strokes. Mean (SD) LS-7 score was 13.5 (2.5). After adjustment for age and sex, mean LS-7 scores were lower for blacks (12.9 ± 0.02) than whites (14.3 ± 0.02). LS-7 categories were associated with incident stroke in a graded fashion (figure). After adjusting for age, race, sex, income, and education, each better health category was associated with a 25% lower risk of incident stroke (HR=0.75, 95% CI = 0.63, 0.90). In stratified analyses, HR was similar for blacks and whites (p-value = 0.55). Conclusion: Blacks had lower levels of cardiovascular health factors than whites. Better cardiovascular health based on LS-7 score was associated with a lower risk of stroke. Results suggest that efforts to improve the LS-7 score may be useful for stroke prevention.

National death certificate data suggest that racial disparities in acute coronary heart disease (CHD) mortality widened over the past decade for both men and women. To better understand this disparity, we examined black:white race-sex differences in overall, fatal and nonfatal acute CHD incidence in a large national biracial cohort. REGARDS is following 30,239 community-dwellers age ≥;45 years recruited between 2003-7 from 48 states. Recruitment was designed to balance race and sex; the final sample was 55% female and 41% black. Participants are telephoned every 6 months for CVD endpoints, with retrieval of medical records, death certificates, interviews with next-of-kin, and expert adjudication following national consensus recommendations. Acute CHD was defined as definite or probable myocardial infarction (MI) or acute CHD death. Among participants free of CHD at baseline, we examined black:white hazards for incident overall acute CHD, and, separately, fatal and nonfatal acute CHD for men and women through 2008, adjusting incrementally for sampling, sociodemographics and CHD risk factors. The study sample numbered 24,431 with mean age 64.1 (SD±9.3). Over a mean follow-up of 3.4 (maximum 5.9) years, 48.7% (55/113) of black men, 33.0% (38/115) of black women, 23.0% (46/200) of white men and 24.1% (21/87) of white women died at their presentation of acute CHD. Black:white hazard ratios for overall, fatal and nonfatal acute CHD from incrementally adjusted models stratified on sex are presented in the Table. Black men and women had over twice the age-adjusted hazard of incident fatal acute CHD compared to whites, not entirely explained by excess risk factor burden among blacks. Although socio-economic and CHD risk factors among blacks continue to be major contributors to fatal incident acute CHD, known risk factors did not fully explain the disparity between black and white men; causes of the elevated risk among black men need to be better understood if widening CHD mortality disparities are to be reversed.

Background: Self-reported data from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) survey show higher prevalence of obesity in the south, particularly for the East South Central(ESC) states of LA, MS, and AL. Because obesity is associated with hypertension and diabetes, higher prevalence of obesity has been hypothesized as a primary contributor to the stroke belt, an area of high stroke mortality in the southeast. We assessed measured obesity from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) and REasons for Geographic and Racial Differences in Stroke (REGARDS), a national population-based cohort from 48 states, and compared geographic prevalence patterns across studies. Methods: Weighted obesity prevalence estimates (with 95% CIs) were calculated from NHANES (2003-2008; n = 6138), REGARDS (2003-2007; n = 30,183), and BRFSS (2003-2007; n = 67,742) in non-Hispanic black and white adults over 45 years of age in the census divisions. Obesity was defined as BMI >= 30 kg/m 2 . Results: There is a lack of concordance in the obesity prevalence (see Figure) between BRFSS and both REGARDS (top left) and NHANES (bottom right). In contrast, the comparison of REGARDS and NHANES (top right) shows good agreement in the estimated obesity prevalence for all divisions (including those containing the stroke belt states, shown in red). Conclusion: Our results indicate discordance in measured and self-reported obesity prevalence especially in the ESC division. The objectively measured obesity prevalence for both NHANES and REGARDS was high in the West North Central division including ND, SD, NE, KS, MN, IA, and MO. Factors other than obesity may contribute to the high prevalence of hypertension and diabetes, and high stroke mortality rates, in the stroke belt. Additionally, these data suggest that errors in self-reporting height and/or weight differ by region and may have distorted past estimates of obesity rates by region.

Objective: Self assessments of health contain important information on factors that influence outcomes that are not routinely captured in traditional risk factors. Few data are available on whether they are associated with incident stroke independent of traditional risk factors. Methods: We evaluated the association between self-rated health and incident stroke using data from the REasons for Geographic And Racial Differences in Stroke (REGARDS) study, a national, population-based cohort study of 30,239 African-American and white adults aged ≥ 45 years. Framingham stroke risk factors (current smoking, systolic blood pressure, antihypertensive medication use, diabetes, atrial fibrillation, coronary artery disease and left ventricular hypertrophy) and self-rated health were collected during a baseline examination. Participants reported self-rated health on a single question “In general, how would you rate your health?” with response options of excellent, very good, good, fair or poor. Similar to previous studies, excellent and very good self-rated health was grouped for analysis. Results: Of 24,708 REGARDS study participants without a history of stroke at baseline and included in this analysis, 534 had an incident stroke over a median of 5.1 years of follow-up. Compared to participants reporting excellent/very good health, the unadjusted hazard ratios (95% confidence intervals [CI]) for incident stroke associated with good, fair and poor health were 1.41 (1.17 - 1.70), 1.98 (1.56 - 2.51), and 3.21 (2.21 - 4.67), respectively (p-trend Conclusion: Self-rated health is an independent predictor of incident stroke even after adjusting for traditional stroke risk factors.

We wish to thank Drs Brian Eigel and Michael Wolz for their valuable comments and contributions. We would like to acknowledge Tim Anderson and Tom Schneider for their editorial contributions and Karen Modesitt for her administrative assistance. Summary Each year, the American Heart Association, in conjunction with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the National Institutes of Health, and other government agencies, brings together the most up-to-date statistics on heart disease, stroke, other vascular diseases, and their risk factors and presents them in …

Appendix I: List of Statistical Fact Sheets. URL: http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=2007 We wish to thank Drs Brian Eigel and Michael Wolz for their valuable comments and contributions. We would like to acknowledge Tim Anderson and Tom Schneider for their editorial contributions and Karen Modesitt for her administrative assistance. Disclosures View this table: View this table: View this table: # Summary {#article-title-2} Each year, the American Heart Association, in conjunction with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the National Institutes of Health, and other government agencies, brings together the most up-to-date statistics on heart disease, stroke, other vascular diseases, and their risk factors and presents them in its Heart Disease and Stroke Statistical Update. The Statistical Update is a valuable resource for researchers, clinicians, healthcare policy makers, media professionals, the lay public, and many others who seek the best national data available on disease …

We thank Drs Robert Adams, Gary Friday, Philip Gorelick, and Sylvia Wasserthiel-Smoller, members of Stroke Statistics Subcommittee; Drs Joe Broderick, Brian Eigel, Kimberlee Gauveau, Jane Khoury, Jerry Potts, Jane Newburger, and Kathryn Taubert; and Sean Coady and Michael Wolz for their valuable comments and contributions. We acknowledge Tim Anderson and Tom Schneider for their editorial contributions and Karen Modesitt for her administrative assistance. View this table: Writing Group Disclosures # Summary {#article-title-2} Each year the American Heart Association, in conjunction with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the National Institutes of Health, and other government agencies, brings together the most up-to-date statistics on heart disease, stroke, and their risk factors and presents them in its Heart Disease and Stroke Statistical Update. The Statistical Update is a valuable resource for researchers, clinicians, healthcare policy makers, media, the lay public, and many others who seek the …

1. About These Statistics…e70 2. Cardiovascular Diseases…e72 3. Coronary Heart Disease, Acute Coronary Syndrome, and Angina Pectoris…e89 4. Stroke…e99 5. High Blood Pressure…e111 6. Congenital Cardiovascular Defects…e116 7. Heart Failure…e119 8. Other Cardiovascular Diseases…e122 9. Risk Factor: Smoking/Tobacco Use…e128 10. Risk Factor: High Blood Cholesterol and Other Lipids…e132 11. Risk Factor: Physical Inactivity…e136 12. Risk Factor: Overweight and Obesity…e139 13. Risk Factor: Diabetes Mellitus…e143 14. End-Stage Renal Disease and Chronic Kidney Disease…e149 15. Metabolic Syndrome…e151 16. Nutrition…e153 17. Quality of Care…e155 18. Medical Procedures…e159 19. Economic Cost of Cardiovascular Diseases…e162 20. At-a-Glance Summary Tables…e164 21. Glossary and Abbreviation Guide…e168 Writing Group Disclosures…e171 Appendix I: List of Statistical Fact Sheets: http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=2007 We thank Drs Robert Adams, Philip Gorelick, Matt Wilson, and Philip Wolf (members of the Statistics Committee or Stroke Statistics Subcommittee); Brian Eigel; Gregg Fonarow; Kathy Jenkins; Gail Pearson; and Michael Wolz for their valuable comments and contributions. We would like to acknowledge Tim Anderson and Tom Schneider for their editorial contributions and Karen Modesitt for her administrative assistance. # 1. About These Statistics {#article-title-2} The American Heart Association (AHA) works with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Center for Health Statistics (CDC/NCHS); the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI); the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS); and other government agencies to derive the annual statistics in this Update. This chapter describes the most important sources and the types of data we use from them. For more details and an alphabetical list of abbreviations, see Chapter 21 of this document, the Glossary and Abbreviation Guide. The surveys used are