Cardiovascular Disease Profiles

These cardiovascular disease (CVD) profiles provide a snapshot of key issues relating to heart disease and stroke, including incidence, mortality, risk factors, treatments and costs. These profiles have been designed to help local health services to assess the impact of these elements of cardiovascular disease on their local populations and the services provided to meet those needs. They are intended to inform commissioning and planning decisions to tackle CVD and improve the health of local communities. They are available at local PCT level and at Cardiac Network level The profiles have three elements:

1. A summary spine chart showing a number of selected indicators in a simple format
2. A more detailed profile, showing these and other indicators in graphical form, and with longer time frames, or different comparators, as appropriate.
3. An interactive atlas, allowing the indicators to be compared easily between PCT anywhere in the country, or between different cardiac networks. Some indicators are only to be found in the atlas.

There is also a background technical document outlining the measures used, and the data behind them, in more detail. There is also a document of frequently asked questions that helps explain why they were developed and some of the data issues. There are a range of other profiles produced through the Association of Public Health Observatories (APHO), which present data of specific relevance to CVD. These include the Tobacco Control Profiles and the Diabetes Community Health Profiles.

Go to CVD Profiles here

What is CVD?
Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a general term used to describe disorders that can affect the heart and/or the body’s system of blood vessels (vascular). Many cardiovascular problems result in chronic conditions that develop or persist over a long period of time. However, it may also result in acute events such as heart attacks and strokes that occur suddenly when a vessel supplying blood to the heart or brain becomes blocked. CVD occurs more frequently in people who smoke, who have high blood pressure, who have high blood cholesterol, who are overweight, who do not exercise and/or who have diabetes. Public health initiatives focus on decreasing CVD by encouraging people to follow a healthy diet, avoid smoking, control their blood pressure, lower their blood cholesterol if necessary, exercise regularly and, if they are diabetic, maintain good control of blood glucose.

CVD can be split into

1. Coronary heart disease (CHD) and coronary artery disease (CAD), a disease of the blood vessels supplying the heart that may lead to:

• Angina
• Heart attack
• Heart failure

2. Cerebrovascular disease – disease of the blood vessels supplying the brain that may lead to:

• Transient ischaemic attacks (TIA) or “mini strokes”
• Strokes

CVD also incorporates peripheral vascular disease - disease of blood vessels supplying the arms and legs that can lead to claudication - obstructed blood flow in arteries, causing pain, gangrene - death of tissues in legs due to poor circulation and aneurysms. These specific elements of CVD are not addressed within the profiles.

Any comments on the profiles can be addressed to: CVD comments