Nearly half of American adults have cardiovascular disease – primarily hypertension



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In the United States, almost half of adults in 2016 – 48% or 121.5 million – have some form of cardiovascular disease (CVD), according to the annual statistical update on heart disease and stroke. American Heart Association (AHA).

This reported prevalence of CVD represents a significant increase over previous years. It was mainly due to the increase in the number of people clbadified as hypertensive, after the 2017 guidelines redefined high blood pressure to 130/80 mm Hg, instead of the previous threshold of 140/90 mm Hg .

When adults who have been diagnosed with hypertension are excluded, the prevalence of CVD falls from 48% to 9%.

"This may seem like good news, but 9% of the American adult population accounts for more than 24.3 million Americans with coronary artery disease, heart failure or stroke," he said. said Mariell Jessup, MD, scientific and medical leader of the AHA, in a statement. .

AHAs Statistics on Heart Disease and Stroke – Update 2019 was published online Jan. 31 in circulation.

"We put a lot of effort into our update every year because we believe in the transformative power of continuously and systematically collecting, badyzing, and interpreting these important data," commented Jessup. "They hold us accountable and help us plan our progress and determine if and how we need to adjust our efforts.

"By quantifying the impact of our collective work, we learn to better invest our resources as we lead a longer and healthier life for all," she added.

Progress and challenges

Cardiovascular disease remains the leading cause of death in the United States and around the world. In 2016, cardiovascular diseases were responsible for 840,678 deaths in the United States (about one in three deaths), compared to 836,546 in 2015, although the number of heart disease deaths worldwide was 2016 (17.6 million) to that recorded in 2016. 2015 (17.9 million).

The average annual cost (direct and indirect) of cardiovascular disease and stroke in the United States was estimated at $ 351.2 billion in 2014/15. From 2015 to 2035, these costs are expected to increase slightly for middle-aged adults and strongly for older adults.

In 2016, in the United States, about one in 19 deaths was caused by a stroke. On average in 2016, a person dies as a result of a stroke every 3 minutes and 42 seconds, the report notes. Considered separately from other cardiovascular diseases, stroke ranks fifth among all causes of death in the United States, making about 142,000 victims a year.

Of the many statistics in the 473-page report, some show progress and some show improvement. Smoking and smoking are a good thing; the report shows that:

  • In 2015/16, 94% of 12 to 19 year olds were non-smokers, an increase of almost 20 percentage points from the beginning of the millennium (76% in 1999/2000).

  • The percentage of teenagers aged 12 to 17 who reported smoking the previous month decreased by two-thirds in 14 years (from 13% in 2002 to 3.4% in 2016).

  • 79% of adults were not smokers in 2015/16, compared to 73% in 1999/2000. Over the last 50 years, the number of adult smokers has increased from 51.0% in 1965 to 16.7% in 2015 among men and from 34.0% to 13.6% among women (rate adjusted according to age).

More and more Americans are becoming more physically active: 53.5% of students participated in muscle building activities three days or more in 2015, up from 47.8% in 1991. Prevalence of inactivity The decline in adult physical activity fell more than threefold from 40.2% in 2005 to 26.9% in 2016.

However, the AHA notes that the prevalence of obesity remains high in the United States, with 39.6% of adults and 18.5% of youth meeting the criteria for obesity in the United States. 2015 and 7.7% of adults and 5.6% of young people meeting the criteria of severe obesity.

"There is no quick fix to help more Americans achieve a healthy weight," Jessup said. "Changes in culture, environments and policies that can improve our food and physical activity choices can take years to implement, and the status quo can withstand change. We must remain steadfast in pursuing these changes to make communities safer and more supportive. "We must also continue to ensure that healthy foods and beverages are more available, affordable and visible in convenience vending machines, schools, cafeterias and other public places. "

This year's update includes a new chapter on the importance of sleep for cardiovascular health and overall health. The American Academy of Sleep Medicine and the Sleep Research Society recommend that adults sleep at least 7 hours a night to promote optimal health. However, a recent report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention indicates that only about 65% of Americans regularly reach this goal.

Circulation. Posted online 31 January 2019. Full text

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