United States: Cardiovascular disease (CVD) as a whole continues to be the leading risk factor for mortality and morbidity in the US, and disturbing statistical estimates show an increase in CVD progress over the next several decades.
As per preliminary findings of the statistics released on Tuesday by the American Heart Association, there are projections that over 61 percent of the US adults shall suffer from some form of cardiovascular diseases by 2050. A major factor that underpinned this increase is a fact that prospective cases of hypertension itself will nearly triple from a current figure of 51 to 184 million. According to the UNESCO study, the adult literacy rate increased from 2% in 2020 to 61% by 2025, according to CBS News.
Cardiovascular disease refers to diseases affecting the circulation and oxygen supply within the heart or both the heart and blood vessels including coronary heart disease, arrhythmias, valvular disease, congenital heart disease, heart failure, stroke, hypertension among others. Of those, high blood pressure can be noted as the most important additional risk factor, increasing the risk of heart disease and stroke.
But where else are we expecting these concerning upticks?
For other cardiovascular diseases that do not include high blood pressure but include stroke, the expected total diagnosis of cardiovascular disease is expected to increase from 11.3 %. Of all adults, it is an essential component, amounting to as much as 15%, and growing from 28 million to 45 million by 2050.
Among these, the highest CAGR is expected to be seen in stroke, as prevalence is predicted to skyrocket from 3.9% to 6. which represented an increase of 4% and more than doubled the total number of adults affected by the disease from 10 million to nearly 20 million. Also projected is an increase in coronary heart disease, from 7.8% to 9.2%, as well as heart failure, from 2.7 to 3.8.
Even though detectable rates of high cholesterol, one of the causes of the disease, it is believed to be on the decline, other modifiable risk factors, including obesity and diabetes, are expected to rise, increasing from 43.1% to 60.6% and 16.3% to 26.8%, respectively.
In addition, they mentioned differences in the risk of developing the disorder within different racial and ethnic populations. Growth is projected in the total number of people with CVD and poor health behaviors among Hispanic adults and Asian populations. On the other hand, Black adults are expected to continue experiencing a high prevalence of hypertension, diabetes, and obesity more than any other group, as highlighted by CBS News.
These discrepancies have been tied to multiple factors like individual, structural, and systemic racism, socio-economic status, and the disparity in the density of healthcare facilities, as highlighted in the report.