Last Update: 06/07/2024

Author: VDH Heart Disease Program

This indicator, or population measure, is part of our Healthy Vermonters 2030 data set. Read more about how this data helps us understand and improve the well-being of people in Vermont on the Healthy Vermonters 2030 webpage.

Because this data is meant to show how the health of our state changes during the decade from 2020-2030, some indicators may have very few data points for now. Keep checking back to see the progress our public health system and partners are making.

Heart Disease is a catch-all phrase for a variety of conditions that affect the heart's structure and how it works. Heart Disease is the leading cause of death in the United States and in Vermont. Coronary Artery Disease, also known as Coronary Heart Disease (CHD) is a type of heart disease where the arteries of the heart cannot deliver enough oxygen-rich blood to the heart. It is also sometimes called coronary artery disease or ischemic heart disease.

By 2030 we want to see the rate of death for coronary heart disease decrease to 144.1 per 100,000 Vermont residents.

In 2022, vital statistics showed that the rate of death due to coronary heart disease was 145.3 per 100,000 Vermonters, which is a decrease from 166.2 per 100,000 in 2021 and 160.5 per 100,000 in 2020.  The rate of coronary heart disease deaths in 2022 is slightly above the 2030 target. Additional years of data are needed to confirm whether this decrease is a trend or an annual fluctuation.

The COVID-19 pandemic increased the number of people in Vermont not accessing preventive health care, struggling with nutrition security, and having access to opportunities to be physically active. This may have affected the data during this time. COVID-19 is also known to have a greater impact on those with certain pre-existing conditions, including heart disease. 

Looking for more data?

• Look at previous coronary heart disease data from our 2020 Scorecards.

• See the corresponding national Healthy People 2030 page for reducing coronary heart (note this is for all people over age 2).

Over time, CHD can weaken the heart muscle. This may lead to heart failure, a serious condition where the heart can't pump blood the way it should. It decreases a person’s ability to be active and impacts their quality of life.

The traditional risk factors for coronary artery disease are high LDL cholesterol, low HDL cholesterol, high blood pressure, family history, diabetes, smoking and obesity. In men, the risk increases after age 45. In women, the risk increases after 55.

It is important to understand what the risk factors for CHD are because there are lifestyle changes and medications that people can take to lower their risk of developing CHD.

Equity and Impact

As described in the ‘Why is this Important’ section, people can reduce the risk of developing CHD by focusing on reducing and or managing the associated risk factors of cholesterol, high blood pressure (also called hypertension) cholesterol, smoking, and diabetes. However, the prevalence of those risk factors is not equal for all Vermont adults.

High Blood Pressure: A quarter (25%) or approximately 129,900 Vermont adults have ever been diagnosed with high blood pressure. High blood pressure is significantly more likely among: men (29%), adults 45 years and older (33%), adults 65 and older (65%), those with high school or less (30%), with any disability (37%), with poor mental health (30%), who identify as LGBT (27%), who identify as non-white (27%) and among those living in a small rural town compared to an urban one (up to 32%).

High Cholesterol: Nearly three in ten (28%) or approximately 129,800 adult Vermonters have ever been diagnosed with high cholesterol. High cholesterol is significantly more likely to be seen among men (31%), adults 65 and older (45%), among those with a high school degree or less (31%), among those in households with incomes less than $25,000 a year (33%), and among those living with any disability (42%).

At the Vermont Department of Health, multiple strategies are being utilized to decrease the rate of coronary heart disease and reduce risk factors that lead to heart disease:

• The Vermont Department of Health (VDH) is funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to create partnerships that improve the way risk factors for CHD are identified, managed and treated. This includes programs that focus on tobacco use, diabetes, physical activity and nutrition, and heart disease.
• VDH works closely with the Vermont Medicaid Program to track health outcomes for Medicaid patients and to increase access to care, community services, and things like free blood pressure cuffs for Medicaid members.
• VDH collaborates with the Vermont Blueprint for Health to offer a suite of programs that help people prevent or manage risk factors for CHD. These programs are part of MyHealthyVT, which has programs focused on tobacco cessation, high blood pressure management, diabetes prevention, diabetes self-management, and arthritis. These programs are available to eligible Vermonters at no cost.
• VDH is funded by the CDC to offer the You First Program, a heart health and breast and cervical cancer screening program to eligible women in Vermont. The heart health part of the program provides free heart health screenings, blood pressure cuffs, counseling, and other services to its members.

Vermont Coronary Heart Disease (CHD) mortality data come from the Vermont Department of Health Vital Statistics System.

These data describe deaths of Vermonters occurring in- and out-of-state. CHD deaths include all deaths with an underlying, or primary, cause of CHD. This is determined using Internal classification of Disease, 10th revision (ICD-10) diagnosis codes exclusively.

See the Cardiovascular Disease Surveillance page for more in-depth and routinely updated data on heart disease in Vermont.