Cerebrovascular accidents, or strokes, are currently the third leading cause of death in the United States. Also a leading cause of disability, they represent an enormous burden on health care costs. This report presents trends in stroke hospitalizations, readmissions, and mortality from 1992...

Heart disease is the leading cause of hospitalization and death in the United States among persons age 65 and older. Acute myocardial infarction (AMI), more commonly known as heart attack, accounted for more than 321,000 hospitalizations among Medicare beneficiaries in 2001. This report presents...