You need to take better care of your heart. No, we’re not judging, it’s just a statistical reality. A new study published Monday in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology found that rates of cardiovascular disease in the United States over the next four decades are on track to rise like blood pressure after a triple cheeseburger.
The new projections are based on 2020 US Census Bureau data combined with heart disease and risk factor data from the US National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Among the general US population, cardiovascular risk factors such as diabetes, hypertension, and obesity are expected to increase dramatically between 2025 and 2060.
Approximately 55 million more Americans are projected to have diabetes, and 126 million more Americans are expected to be afflicted by 2060. Researchers also predict that rates of stroke and heart failure will increase by more than 33 percent each, affecting a combined 28 million Americans. .
What’s worse is that this increase is expected to disproportionately affect all minority groups, with black and Hispanic populations suffering the greatest impact from these increases in cardiovascular risks, while rates generally decline for whites. For example, the study found that the number of black adults with diabetes will increase from 13% today to 20% by 2060; and nearly 60 percent will have hypertension, up from 55 percent now.
This is especially serious given the fact that advances in medicine should prevent these increases. But according to the study’s authors, the problem is systemic: Minority groups are often overlooked and neglected when it comes to health policy. Factors such as food deserts, lack of medical access, and income inequality in black and brown communities contribute to a growing disparity in public health. This is supported by previous research that found chronic lack of access to healthy foods leads to higher rates of diabetes, obesity and cardiovascular disease. Researchers say the findings describe clear disparities in the U.S. health care system and are a call to action to address them.
“Our analysis projects that the prevalence of cardiovascular disease and risk factors will continue to increase in alarming trends,” said James L. Januzzi Jr., a cardiologist at Massachusetts General Hospital and co-author of the study, in a statement from press “These startling projections will disproportionately affect racial and ethnic minority populations in the U.S. Understanding these results will hopefully inform future public health policy efforts and allow us to implement prevention and treatment measures in an equitable manner.” “.
Redressing this disparity will require health education and more equitable treatment for at-risk populations. Januzzi Jr. and colleagues argue that health policies and regulations will need to be leveraged to specifically focus on the impact that cardiovascular disease has on minority communities.
So while it’s serious, it’s important to remember that the study is a look at what could happen if we don’t act. However, if our history in addressing climate change and environmental issues is any indication, we will unfortunately not be holding our breath.