AHA Comes Out With New Stats

Peripheral arterial disease may not sound familiar, but it affects 8 to 12 million Americans, and one of a host of cardiovascular disorders that go beyond the heart.

"While we are becoming more aware of diseases affecting the heart, most people are unaware of the disorders beyond heart attacks and stroke that fall under the cardiovascular umbrella," said Augustus Grant, M.D., Ph.D., president of the American Heart Association.

New data from the American Heart Association’s Heart Disease and Stroke Statistics - 2004 Update reveal the burden of these often-chronic diseases.

Some of these disorders include congestive heart failure, peripheral arterial disease (clogged vessels in the anus and legs), end-stage renal disease and venous thromboembolism (blood clot).