By 2050, 61% of American adults will suffer from heart disease

One of the main factors behind this trend is the aging population: as we get older, our chances of developing cardiovascular disease increase.

By 2050, 22% of Americans will be 65 or older, up from 17% in 2020. U.S. Census Bureau.

America is also becoming more diverse, and communities of color are had a greater impact Due to cardiovascular disease.

By 2060, people who identify as Hispanic will Accounts for 27.5% of the populationPeople who identify as Black will be 15% of the population in 2020, up from 17.8% in 2016, up from 13.3% in 2016. Over the same period, the percentage of people who identify as Asian will increase from 5.7% to 9.1%.

According to an AHA study, Hispanic adults are projected to have the greatest increase in total cardiovascular disease by 2050.

Additionally, Black adults are predicted to have the highest rates of hypertension, diabetes and obesity, as well as poor sleep and unhealthy diets — all of which contribute to the development of cardiovascular disease.

“Many Americans live with food insecurity, reside in food deserts where nutritious fruits and vegetables are unavailable, and survive on unhealthy processed and fast foods that are high in calories and low in nutrition,” he said. Nate E. Lebowitz, MDThe Hackensack University Medical Center cardiologist was not involved in the AHA study.

“The AHA study shows that these food insecure and disadvantaged populations are expected to be more significantly affected,” he told Healthline.

In addition to the expected increase in hypertension rates, other risk factors for cardiovascular disease are also likely to increase over the next 20 years.

Obesity is projected to increase from 43.1% of adults in 2020 to 60.6% in 2050, while diabetes is projected to increase from 16.3% to 26.8%. The increase in obesity is most pronounced among adults under 65, with an AHA survey predicting that by 2050, more than 70 million young people will be engaging in unhealthy eating habits.

The study also looked at projections for children and found worrying trends for certain risk factors: For example, obesity rates among 2- to 19-year-olds are projected to rise from 20.6% in 2020 to 33% in 2050.

Furthermore, the survey shows that poor eating habits and lack of exercise among children are expected to remain at around 60% each.

But Americans will make progress when it comes to certain risk factors: The percentage of adults with insufficient levels of physical activity will fall from 33.5% in 2020 to 24.2% in 2050. Smoking rates are projected to fall nearly in half over that time, from 15.8% to 8.4%.

In addition, High cholesterol rates The rate of elevated cholesterol levels is expected to fall from 45.8% to 24.0%, thanks in part to an increase in the number of people taking cholesterol-lowering drugs called statins.

2023 study They found that 92 million adults aged 40 and over, or 35% of that age group, were taking statins in 2018-2019, up from 12% in 2008-2009.

“I wish I could say that. [the projected decline in high cholesterol] “This is due to improved diet and falling obesity rates, but it's really due to new advanced pharmaceutical drugs that we're starting to use that dramatically lower cholesterol,” Lebowitz said.

“We know that [lowering cholesterol] “The incidence of coronary artery disease is declining, so the report could have been much worse,” he said.

The AHA projections paint a grim picture of cardiovascular disease 25 years from now, but the study authors Dr. Dhruv S. WorkHe is director of the cardiac intensive care unit at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston. release These trends can be slowed, but “this will require strategic investments in cardiovascular disease prevention and treatment,” the study said.

However, at present, prevention of cardiovascular disease may not receive as much attention as treatment.

“The United States spends millions on expensive, high-tech treatments for acute cardiovascular disease, yet spends too little on much less expensive measures that can prevent the need for such treatment,” Lebowitz said.

For example, “after hospitalization for a heart attack or acute coronary artery disease involving stent or bypass surgery, half of patients don't even get their cholesterol checked, and the readmission rate within six months is as high as 42 percent,” he said.

In contrast, Cuba Spend a little The US has a low standard of healthcare, but the average healthcare policy in both countries is Average life.

In Cuba, doctors “are responsible for making sure that a certain number of people in their neighborhood have basic health care,” Lebowitz says, “and the majority of their responsibility is focused on the very basics that we don't do enough about: blood pressure, weight, cholesterol, nutrition, smoking cessation.” [in the United States]. “

In addition, “processed foods have decreased. [in Cuba]”This will reduce the incidence of chronic diseases, [Americans] Please spend all that money.”

Lebowitz believes more resources should be put into ensuring everyone has access to fresh, nutritious food, including supporting community gardens.

“It's been proven that switching just 20 percent of calories from ultra-processed and fast foods to fruits, vegetables, lean meat and eggs (unprocessed foods) can have a huge effect on disease prevention,” he said. “We need to make this cheaper and a priority, especially in food-insecure areas.”

A new study from the American Heart Association projected future incidence and risk factors for cardiovascular disease, finding that by 2050, more than 61 percent of American adults will have some form of cardiovascular disease, including high blood pressure.

This trend is driven by an aging and increasingly diverse population. Communities of color tend to be more susceptible to cardiovascular disease.

Rates of smoking, physical inactivity, and high cholesterol are projected to fall by 2050, but experts say more needs to be done to slow those trends, including ensuring all Americans have access to healthy foods.