Do We Know Why Deaths from Heart Disease Have Declined?

• Published in: The American journal of cardiology 2014-11, Vol.114 (10), p.1627-1627
• Main Authors: Mehta, Paulette, MD, MPH, Mehta, Jawahar L., MD, PhD
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Cardiovascular; Cardiovascular disease; Cause of Death - trends; Global Health; Heart; Heart Diseases - mortality; Humans; Risk Assessment; Stents; Survival Rate - trends
• ISSN: 0002-9149; 1879-1913
• DOI: 10.1016/j.amjcard.2014.08.004

Deaths from heart disease have declined,We know not why.In the 1960s, and for many years beyond,Heart disease killed many people quickly,Mostly in their 50s and 60's, and mostly in their prime.But nowadays, it does not kill as fastAnd no one really seems to knowThe reason for the change.Experts say they know it allAnd they can readily explainBut even they cannot agree upon a single cause.Some say it is antibiotics whichDecreased streptococcal infections, rheumatic feverAnd rheumatic heart disease.Others say it is smoking which used to be the problem,And now that it has declined,People live much longer after heart disease.Others say it is the foods we eat,We eat less meat, fat and sugar and hardly any saltFood tastes awful but deaths from heart disease are down.But other experts disagree and say it is exercise,Racing, running, jogging, hopping, skipping,Have mellowed fatal heart disease.But other experts say that this cannot be true,For if it were then Mr. Fixx, who ran and who was fit,Would not have died at fifty.And Mr. Churchill, who was fat, and smokedAnd never exercised, would not haveLived to 90.And if it were life-style, then why would people nowWith so much dia-besity live so long andHardly die from myocardial ischemia?