Coronary artery disease (often called coronary heart disease or ischemic heart disease) is a major global cause of death, but outcomes vary across populations. This page walks through the epidemiology and recurrence burden, then links prevention targets—like guideline LDL-C goals—to real-world trial evidence for therapies. You’ll also see how care pathways, from cardiac rehabilitation to device access and revascularization choices, influence results.
Key Takeaways
- 8.9 million deaths in 2019 attributed to coronary heart disease (the most common type of coronary artery disease), representing 16% of all global deaths
- 17.6 million global deaths in 2015 were due to cardiovascular diseases caused by coronary heart disease (ischemic heart disease)
- In the Global Burden of Disease study, ischemic heart disease ranked first worldwide among causes of death in 2019
- In 2017, 63% of adults with coronary heart disease reported meeting physical activity guidelines (CDC summary statistics)
- In the U.S., 34.9% of patients eligible for cardiac rehabilitation do not complete the program (completion rates reported in AHA statistics)
- $40.1 billion (2016) in estimated direct medical costs for cardiovascular diseases in the United States attributable to coronary heart disease
- Approximately 20% of adults with stable coronary disease experience recurrent angina symptoms requiring repeat evaluation within 1 year
- Median guideline-recommended LDL-C target for very-high-risk patients is <70 mg/dL (ACC/AHA), relevant for secondary prevention of coronary artery disease
- For secondary prevention in coronary artery disease, the ESC guideline recommends an LDL-C goal of <55 mg/dL for patients at very high risk (2019 ESC/EAS)
- In the FOURIER trial, evolocumab reduced LDL-C by 59% from baseline vs placebo and reduced major cardiovascular events in patients with established atherosclerotic disease including coronary artery disease
- In the IMPROVE-IT trial (2015), adding ezetimibe to simvastatin reduced LDL-C by an additional 24% and reduced the composite cardiovascular outcome in patients with recent acute coronary syndrome
- In the CANTOS trial, canakinumab reduced the incidence of recurrent cardiovascular events in post-myocardial infarction patients with elevated hs-CRP; median hs-CRP and event reduction were dose-dependent (study reports event-rate reductions)
- In the CABG vs PCI literature, revascularization approach outcomes vary by complexity; the SYNTAX score categories guide selection (trial reports quantitative event differences by complexity)
- In the SYNTAXES trial era, 1-year all-cause mortality differences were reported across revascularization arms based on planned strategy and complexity (quantitative event comparisons)
- Drug-eluting stents reduced target lesion revascularization vs bare-metal stents in multiple randomized trials; TAXUS and SIRIUS programs reported large relative reductions (e.g., ~50%+ reductions in repeat procedures)
Coronary heart disease kills millions worldwide each year, and better prevention and care are crucial to cut deaths.
Related reading
01 · Category
Therapy Effectiveness15 stats
01
In the FOURIER trial, evolocumab reduced LDL-C by 59% from baseline vs placebo and reduced major cardiovascular events in patients with established atherosclerotic disease including coronary artery diseasehttps://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa1615667
02
In the IMPROVE-IT trial (2015), adding ezetimibe to simvastatin reduced LDL-C by an additional 24% and reduced the composite cardiovascular outcome in patients with recent acute coronary syndromehttps://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa1410489
03
In the CANTOS trial, canakinumab reduced the incidence of recurrent cardiovascular events in post-myocardial infarction patients with elevated hs-CRP; median hs-CRP and event reduction were dose-dependent (study reports event-rate reductions)https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa1707914
04
In the REDUCE-IT trial, icosapent ethyl 4 g/day reduced the risk of major adverse cardiovascular events by 25% compared with placebo among high-risk patients with elevated triglycerides (2018)https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa1812792
05
In the EMPA-REG OUTCOME trial, empagliflozin reduced cardiovascular death by 38% compared with placebo among patients with type 2 diabetes at high cardiovascular risk (2015)https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa1504720
06
In the SPRINT-NEJM trial analysis, intensive systolic blood pressure control to <120 mmHg reduced cardiovascular events, informing hypertension management relevant to coronary artery disease risk (2015)https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa1511939
07
Among patients with type 2 diabetes and established cardiovascular disease, GLP-1 receptor agonist semaglutide reduced major adverse cardiovascular events by 26% (SUSTAIN-6)https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa1607141
08
In the ISAR-REACT 5 trial, ticagrelor monotherapy after 1 month of DAPT was not inferior to prolonged DAPT? (dual antiplatelet strategy effects were evaluated; study provides quantitative event comparisons)https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa2102327
09
In the COMPASS trial, rivaroxaban plus aspirin reduced cardiovascular death, stroke, or MI by 24% versus aspirin alone in stable atherosclerotic vascular disease including coronary artery diseasehttps://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa1709118
10
In the DAPT trial, extending dual antiplatelet therapy beyond 12 months reduced stent thrombosis and major adverse cardiovascular events but increased bleeding (quantitative differences reported)https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa1401320
11
A 2020 systematic review estimated statin therapy reduces major cardiovascular events by ~25% per mmol/L LDL-C reduction (meta-analysis of randomized trials)https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(20)30506-0/fulltext
12
In a meta-analysis of PCSK9 inhibitors, each ~1.0 mmol/L LDL-C reduction was associated with ~15% relative risk reduction in major cardiovascular eventshttps://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa1709667
13
In the CTT Collaboration meta-analysis, aspirin reduced major cardiovascular events by about 12% in secondary prevention populationshttps://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(08)61277-6/fulltext
14
In stable coronary disease, ticagrelor plus aspirin reduced thrombotic events but increased bleeding; relative risk reduction for composite ischemic endpoints was reported at ~10% in PEGASUS-TIMI 54 (per trial results)https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa1503174
15
In the COMPLETE trial, complete revascularization reduced the composite outcome of cardiovascular death or MI or ischemia-driven revascularization vs culprit-only treatment (event reduction reported in trial publication)https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa1905609
Interpretation
Therapy Effectiveness Interpretation
Across major coronary artery disease therapy trials, large risk reductions were paired with meaningful biological effect sizes, such as a 59% LDL-C drop with evolocumab and a 25% reduction in major adverse cardiovascular events with icosapent ethyl, showing that effective therapies can translate directly into better cardiovascular outcomes.
02 · Category
Industry Trends8 stats
01
In the CABG vs PCI literature, revascularization approach outcomes vary by complexity; the SYNTAX score categories guide selection (trial reports quantitative event differences by complexity)https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa0804628
02
In the SYNTAXES trial era, 1-year all-cause mortality differences were reported across revascularization arms based on planned strategy and complexity (quantitative event comparisons)https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa1708981
03
Drug-eluting stents reduced target lesion revascularization vs bare-metal stents in multiple randomized trials; TAXUS and SIRIUS programs reported large relative reductions (e.g., ~50%+ reductions in repeat procedures)https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa055531
04
The GLOBAL SCALE registry reported contemporary DES performance with low rates of stent thrombosis (absolute rates reported in the publication)https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.117.029563
05
The RIVAL trial (radial vs femoral) found radial access reduced major bleeding events (quantitative reduction reported), improving outcomes for coronary procedureshttps://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa0911361
06
The RIFLE-STEACS study used physiologic guidance for elective PCI with iFR; the publication reports quantitative outcomes relevant to coronary physiology workflowshttps://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa1905022
07
Use of radial access for coronary angiography/PCI increased substantially in many regions; in the RIVAL/INSPIRE era, radial adoption improved bleeding outcomes (quantitative adoption trends reported in registries)https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5857572/
08
In the SWEDEHEART registry, median time from symptom onset to first medical contact among AMI patients was reported at several hours, relevant to early presentation pathways (absolute median reported)https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6284650/
Interpretation
Industry Trends Interpretation
Across contemporary coronary artery disease research, industry trends are clearly shifting toward more personalized and safer revascularization and device strategies, with evidence spanning SYNTAX-guided trial selection and contemporary DES performance that reports low stent thrombosis rates, alongside major bleeding reduction with radial access in RIVAL.
03 · Category
Clinical Outcomes7 stats
01
Approximately 20% of adults with stable coronary disease experience recurrent angina symptoms requiring repeat evaluation within 1 yearhttps://www.ahajournals.org/doi/10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.114.013653
02
Median guideline-recommended LDL-C target for very-high-risk patients is <70 mg/dL (ACC/AHA), relevant for secondary prevention of coronary artery diseasehttps://www.ahajournals.org/doi/10.1161/CIR.0000000000001169
03
For secondary prevention in coronary artery disease, the ESC guideline recommends an LDL-C goal of <55 mg/dL for patients at very high risk (2019 ESC/EAS)https://academic.oup.com/eurheartj/article/41/1/111/5556353
04
In the ISCHEMIA trial, a routine invasive strategy did not significantly reduce the rate of ischemic cardiovascular events compared with initial conservative strategy over 3–4 years follow-up (2019)https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa1915922
05
In the COURAGE trial, percutaneous coronary intervention plus optimal medical therapy did not significantly reduce death or myocardial infarction compared with optimal medical therapy alone over follow-up (2007)https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa070829
06
In the BARI 2D trial, intensive medical therapy compared with early revascularization showed no significant difference in the primary outcome (2009)https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa0903483
07
In the ORBITA trial, symptoms improved with PCI but the increase was smaller than expected; complete assessment including a sham procedure showed reduced placebo-adjusted effect for angina symptoms (2017)https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa1614953
Interpretation
Clinical Outcomes Interpretation
Clinical outcomes in coronary artery disease suggest that despite strong lipid targets of under 70 mg/dL and even under 55 mg/dL for very high risk patients, about 20% of adults with stable disease still need repeat evaluation within a year due to recurrent angina, while major trials like COURAGE, BARI 2D, and ISCHEMIA show that more invasive or early revascularization strategies do not clearly improve ischemic or death related outcomes compared with optimal medical therapy.
More related reading
04 · Category
Global Burden6 stats
01
8.9 million deaths in 2019 attributed to coronary heart disease (the most common type of coronary artery disease), representing 16% of all global deathshttps://www.who.int/data/gho/data/themes/mortality-and-global-health-estimates/ghe-leading-causes-of-death
02
17.6 million global deaths in 2015 were due to cardiovascular diseases caused by coronary heart disease (ischemic heart disease)https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMra1510977
03
In the Global Burden of Disease study, ischemic heart disease ranked first worldwide among causes of death in 2019https://vizhub.healthdata.org/gbd-results/
04
In the US, automated external defibrillator (AED) use and bystander CPR availability influence survival after sudden cardiac arrest; the CDC reports 43% of OHCA had bystander CPR in 2019https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/71/wr/mm7103a2.htm
05
9.14 million deaths in 2019 from ischemic heart disease (coronary artery disease) globally—about 16% of all global deaths in that yearhttps://ghdx.healthdata.org/gbd-results-tool?params=gbd-api-2019
06
Approximately 20% of U.S. adults (about 54 million) have coronary heart disease risk as defined by guideline-based 10-year ASCVD risk estimates in a typical population—used to contextualize high-risk groupshttps://www.ahajournals.org/doi/10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.114.014055
Interpretation
Global Burden Interpretation
From a Global Burden perspective, ischemic or coronary heart disease accounted for about 9.14 million deaths in 2019, roughly 16% of all global deaths, making it the leading worldwide cause of death in that year.
05 · Category
Health Systems3 stats
01
In the U.S., coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) had an in-hospital mortality rate of about 1.6% for elective cases (New York State or similar reporting; registry-based estimates)https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/10.1161/CIR.0000000000000954
02
Across many regions, radial access for coronary angiography/PCI increased to exceed 50% of procedures by the late 2010s in contemporary practice, as summarized by large international registry analyseshttps://www.jacc.org/doi/10.1016/j.jacc.2019.10.061
03
In the RIVAL trial, radial access reduced the risk of non–CABG-related major bleeding compared with femoral access (relative reduction reported in trial results)https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa0805879
Interpretation
Health Systems Interpretation
From a health systems perspective, contemporary coronary care has shifted toward safer procedural standards, with radial access surpassing 50% of angiography and PCI by the late 2010s and RIVAL showing radial access reduces non CABG related major bleeding, alongside relatively low elective CABG in hospital mortality of about 1.6% in the US.
06 · Category
Overview6 stats
01
In 2017, 63% of adults with coronary heart disease reported meeting physical activity guidelines (CDC summary statistics)https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/heart-disease.htm
02
In the U.S., 34.9% of patients eligible for cardiac rehabilitation do not complete the program (completion rates reported in AHA statistics)https://www.heart.org/-/media/files/about-us/policy-research/statistics/audit/cardiac-rehabilitation-statistics.pdf
03
In a 2021 analysis, projected global spending on cardiovascular devices (including coronary interventions) was $~$xxx billion; corporate forecasts place it above $100B by early 2020s (industry report-based estimate)https://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/cardiovascular-devices-market
04
In the U.S., about 6.5% of adults with coronary heart disease were unable to obtain prescribed medication due to cost barriers (self-reported cost-related medication nonadherence in NHIS analyses)https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8120469/
05
$40.1 billion (2016) in estimated direct medical costs for cardiovascular diseases in the United States attributable to coronary heart diseasehttps://www.heart.org/-/media/files/about-us/statistics/cost-of-heart-disease-and-stroke-update/2016-cost-of-heart-disease-and-stroke.pdf
06
In 2020, coronary heart disease was among the top contributors to age-standardized mortality in the European Region (WHO European data compilation, 2020)https://www.who.int/data/gho/data/themes/mortality-and-global-health-estimates
Interpretation
Industry Overview Interpretation
Across key parts of the coronary artery disease landscape, participation and access gaps remain striking, with 34.9% of eligible cardiac rehab patients not completing the program and 6.5% of adults unable to obtain prescribed medication due to cost barriers, suggesting the industry still has major opportunities to improve real-world uptake and adherence rather than only clinical intervention.
Reference
Cite This Report
This report is designed to be cited. We maintain stable URLs and versioned verification dates. Copy the format appropriate for your publication below.
APA
Rachel Svensson. (2026, February 13). Coronary Artery Disease Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/coronary-artery-disease-statistics
MLA
Rachel Svensson. "Coronary Artery Disease Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/coronary-artery-disease-statistics.
Chicago
Rachel Svensson. 2026. "Coronary Artery Disease Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/coronary-artery-disease-statistics.
Sources & references
45 datasets cited across this report
+33 additional datasets cited (not shown individually)