Is the observed gap between men and women statistically significant?
Yes. Because the difference is based on millions of data points, an average change of this magnitude is statistically significant. Cardiovascular disease mortality is declining in men and increasing in women. According to CDC/NCHS and American Heart Association data from 1980 through 1999, the annual number of deaths due to cardiovascular disease fell in men from 510,000 to 440,000 and rose in women from 490,000 to 510,000 (numbers rounded). Deaths of men fell by about 70,000 annually while deaths of women rose by about 20,000 annually. Mortality is the ultimate outcome of multiple factors including differences in medical diagnosis and treatment for cardiovascular disease. According to experts in the field of cardiovascular disease and public health, an important cause is differences in treatment of men versus women.
