Nearly Two-Thirds of Americans Will Have Cardiovascular Disease by 2050, Study Finds

The increase is largely due to an expected surge in hypertension cases

AP/Mark Lennihan
Surgeons perform a non-emergency angioplasty at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York. AP/Mark Lennihan

Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death and disability in the United States, and new projections indicate its prevalence may rise significantly over the next 30 years.

According to a report released Tuesday by the American Heart Association, more than 6 in 10 U.S. adults will have some form of cardiovascular disease by 2050. This increase is largely due to an expected surge in hypertension cases, with 184 million people projected to have high blood pressure by then.

The heart association identifies cardiovascular disease as encompassing various conditions, including coronary heart disease, arrhythmias, valvular disease, congenital heart disease, heart failure, stroke, and hypertension. High blood pressure is particularly noted as a significant risk factor for both heart disease and stroke.

The report anticipates notable increases in several specific conditions. The total number of adults with cardiovascular disease, excluding high blood pressure, is expected to grow to 15 percent from 11.3 percent at the moment, an increase to 45 million individuals from 28 million now.

Stroke cases are projected to see the most substantial rise, nearly doubling from 3.9 percent to 6.4 percent, with the number of affected adults growing to almost 20 million from 10 million at the moment.

Other conditions will also see increases. Coronary heart disease cases are projected to rise to 9.2 percent from 7.8 percent, and heart failure cases to 3.8 percent from 2.7 percent. Although there is a projected decline in high cholesterol diagnoses, other risk factors such as obesity and diabetes are expected to increase significantly as well.


The New York Sun

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