Cardiac disease, also known as heart disease, is one of the leading causes of death in the United States and the leading cause of death in Arizona. In addition, cerebral disease, and more specifically, stroke, is a dangerous and debilitating disease that can result in permanent disability or death. Causes of these conditions vary and can be a combination of inherited risk and lifestyle factors that include diet, exercise, alcohol, tobacco or drug use, stress, and more.

Health practitioners recognize that reducing incidence of cardiac and cerebral disease will require a complex network of interventions, including those affecting lifestyle choices such as diet and physical activity, improving access to early diagnosis, and prescribing appropriate medications.

Incidence of Cardiac and Cerebral Disease is measured by four discrete metrics, including (1) percent of Arizonans who reported being told by a healthcare professional that they had a heart attack; (2) rate of deaths of Arizonans from diseases of the heart, age-adjusted, persons per 100,000 population; (3) percent of Arizonans who reported they have been told by a healthcare professional that they had a stroke; and (4) rate of deaths of Arizonans from cerebrovascular disease, age-adjusted, persons per 100,000 population.

Incidence of Cardiac and Cerebral Disease data are updated annually and are available for the following localities:

• Nation
• States
• Counties