Heart disease in the Netherlands: a quantitative update

Abstract

In this review we discuss cardiovascular mortality, incidence and prevalence of heart disease, and cardiac interventions and surgery in the Netherlands. We combined most recently available data from various Dutch cardiovascular registries, Dutch Hospital Data (LMR), Statistics Netherlands (CBS), and population-based cohort studies, to provide a broad quantitative update. The absolute number of people dying from cardiovascular diseases is declining and cardiovascular conditions are no longer the leading cause of death in the Netherlands. However, a substantial burden of morbidity persists with 400,000 hospitalisations for cardiovascular disease involving over 80,000 cardiac interventions annually. In the Netherlands alone, an estimated 730,000 persons are currently diagnosed with coronary heart disease, 120,000 with heart failure, and 260,000 with atrial fibrillation. These numbers emphasise the continuous need for dedicated research on prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of heart disease in our country.

Fig. 1

Standardised cardiovascular mortality per 100,000 inhabitants in the Netherlands in women and men from 1950 to 2011 [2]

Fig. 2

Coronary heart disease incidence in men and women (per 1000 inhabitants) in the Netherlands in 2007 (Source: General practice registry) [2]

Fig. 3

Number of surgical procedures and percutaneous coronary interventions in the Netherlands from 1983 to 2012 (Source: Supervisory Committee for Cardiac Interventions in the Netherlands (BHN)) [1]

Fig. 4

Number of deaths attributed to myocardial infarction or heart failure as the primary cause of death in the Netherlands from 1980 to 2012 (Source: Statistics Netherlands (CBS))