Nearly half of American adults have heart disease or blood vessels

A new report estimates that nearly half of all US adults have some form of heart disease or blood vessel disease, a medical milestone largely due to recent guidelines that have increased the number of people with hypertension.

The American Heart Association said Thursday that more than 121 million adults were suffering from cardiovascular disease in 2016. Excluding people with high blood pressure, 24 million, or 9% of adults, suffer from other forms of disease, such as heart failure or clogged arteries. .

Measuring the burden of disease shows that areas need to be improved, said Dr. Mariell Jessup, Scientific and Medical Lead of the Heart Association, in a statement.

High blood pressure, which was long defined as a maximum reading of at least 140 or a lower value of 90, has fallen to 130 over 80 according to the guidelines adopted in 2017. It increases the risk of seizures cardiac, stroke and many other problems, and only about half of those with it control it.

A diagnosis of high blood pressure does not necessarily mean that you need medication right away. the first step is to adopt a healthier lifestyle, even for people who are prescribed medication. A poor diet, lack of exercise and other bad habits cause 90% of hypertension.

The report is an annual update of statistics done by the Cardiology Association, the National Institutes of Health and others.

Other highlights:

– In the United States, a disease of the blood vessels and heart is linked to one in three deaths and kills more Americans than all forms of cancer and respiratory diseases such as pneumonia combined.

-Some groups have higher rates than others; 57% of black women and 60% of black men.

-Coronary heart disease, or clogged or hardened arteries, was responsible for 43% of cardiovascular deaths in the United States, followed by stroke (17%), heart failure, and stroke. high blood pressure (10%) and heart failure (9%).

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Marilynn Marchione can be followed at @MMarchioneAP

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The Associated Press Science & Science Department is supported by the Howard Hughes Medical Institute's Department of Science Education. The AP is solely responsible for all content.