Physical Activity and Fitness in the Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease

Cardiovascular disease (CVD), as defined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), encompasses coronary heart disease (CHD), stroke, hypertension, and heart failure. ¹ CVD accounts for nearly one in three deaths in the United States. Approximately 2,150 Americans die from some manifestation of CVD every day—roughly one every 40 seconds. ¹ CVD has been the leading cause of death since 1900 and remains so despite a decades-long decline in CVD mortality. ¹