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The decline and rise of coronary heart disease: Understanding public health catastrophism

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  • Jones, D.S.
  • Greene, J.A.

Abstract

The decline of coronary heart disease mortality in the United States and Western Europe is one of the great accomplishments of modern public health and medicine. Cardiologists and cardiovascular epidemiologists have devoted significant effort to disease surveillance and epidemiological modeling to understand its causes. One unanticipated outcome of these efforts has been the detection of early warnings that the decline had slowed, plateaued, or even reversed. These subtle signs have been interpreted as evidence of an impending public health catastrophe. This article traces the history of research on coronary heart disease decline and resurgence and situates it in broader narratives of public health catastrophism. Juxtaposing the coronary heart disease literature alongside the narratives of emerging and reemerging infectious disease helps to identify patterns in how public health researchers create data and craft them into powerful narratives of progress or pessimism. These narratives, in turn, shape public health policy. Copyright © 2012 by the American Public Health Association®.

Suggested Citation

  • Jones, D.S. & Greene, J.A., 2013. "The decline and rise of coronary heart disease: Understanding public health catastrophism," American Journal of Public Health, American Public Health Association, vol. 103(7), pages 1207-1218.
    • Handle: RePEc:aph:ajpbhl:10.2105/ajph.2013.301226_7
    DOI: 10.2105/AJPH.2013.301226
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    Cited by:

    1. Anderson, D. Mark & Charles, Kerwin Kofi & Rees, Daniel I., 2018. "Public Health Efforts and the Decline in Urban Mortality," IZA Discussion Papers 11773, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    2. Pollock, Anne & Jones, David S., 2015. "Coronary artery disease and the contours of pharmaceuticalization," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 131(C), pages 221-227.
    3. Anderson, D. Mark & Charles, Kerwin Kofi & Las Heras Olivares, Claudio & Rees, Daniel I., 2017. "Was the First Public Health Campaign Successful? The Tuberculosis Movement and its Effect on Mortality," IZA Discussion Papers 10590, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    4. D. Mark Anderson & Kerwin Kofi Charles & Daniel I. Rees, 2018. "Public Health Efforts and the Decline in Urban Mortality," NBER Working Papers 25027, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    5. D. Mark Anderson & Kerwin Kofi Charles & Claudio Las Heras Olivares & Daniel I. Rees, 2017. "Was The First Public Health Campaign Successful? The Tuberculosis Movement and Its Effect on Mortality," NBER Working Papers 23219, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    6. Forshaw, Rachel & Kharadi, Natalya & McLaughlin, Eoin, 2023. "Cardiovascular Disease Mortality and Non-Particulate Air Pollution: Evidence from the 20th Century," Accountancy, Economics, and Finance Working Papers 2023-01, Heriot-Watt University, Department of Accountancy, Economics, and Finance.
    7. Chiu, Kevin, 2021. "The impact of certificate of need laws on heart attack mortality: Evidence from county borders," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 79(C).
    8. D. Mark Anderson & Kerwin Kofi Charles & Claudio Las Heras Olivares & Daniel I. Rees, 2019. "Was the First Public Health Campaign Successful?," American Economic Journal: Applied Economics, American Economic Association, vol. 11(2), pages 143-175, April.

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