The American journal of medicine
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Heart disease was an uncommon cause of death in the US at the beginning of the 20th century. By mid-century it had become the commonest cause. After peaking in the mid-1960s, the number of heart disease deaths began a marked decline that has persisted to the present. ⋯ These decreases are very likely explained by a decrease in coronary atherosclerosis due to primary prevention, and a decrease in the progression of nonobstructive coronary atherosclerosis to obstructive coronary heart disease due to efforts of primary and secondary prevention. In addition, more effective treatment of patients hospitalized with acute myocardial infarction has led to a substantial decrease in deaths due to acute myocardial infarction. It is very likely that the 20th century was the only century in which heart disease was the most common cause of death in America.
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Chronic pulmonary diseases are chronic diseases that affect the airways and lung parenchyma. Examples of common chronic pulmonary diseases include asthma, bronchiectasis, chronic obstructive lung disease, lung fibrosis, sarcoidosis, pulmonary hypertension, and cor pulmonale. ⋯ Vaccination against S. pneumoniae can reduce the risk of mortality, especially from more serious infections in both immunocompetent and immunocompromised patients. Patients with chronic pulmonary diseases who take steroids or immunomodulating therapy (eg, methotrexate, anti-tumor necrosis factor inhibitors), or who have concurrent sickle cell disease or other hemoglobinopathies, primary immunodeficiency disorders, human immunodeficiency virus infection/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, nephrotic syndrome, and hematologic or solid malignancies should be vaccinated with both 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine and the pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine 23-valent.