Cardiovascular disease (CVD) remains a leading cause of death in the United States and worldwide, according to the annual statistical update on heart disease and stroke from the American Heart Association (AHA).
However, the COVID-19 pandemic is likely to have an impact on that rate, which is based on 2018 mortality data, going forward.
“We are still waiting for the final numbers from 2020, but we expect COVID-19 deaths to be in the top three to five causes of death in 2020, more likely number three in terms of cause of death the whole of our country, ”said writing group chairman Salim Virani, MD, PhD, Baylor College of Medicine and Michael E. DeBakey Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Houston.
“We anticipate that the direct and indirect effects of COVID-19 on cardiovascular disease will continue for years to come,” Virani said.
The AHA’s Heart Disease and Stroke Statistics – Update 2021 was published online January 27 in Circulation.
Key findings include:
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Between 2015 and 2018, 126.9 million American adults (49.2%) had some form of CVD, including coronary heart disease, heart failure, stroke, or hip-suffering, with 58.8% of non-Hispanic black women and 60.1 % of non-Hispanic black males. who have CVD.
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In 2018, coronary heart disease was the leading cause (42.1%) of CVD-able deaths in the The United States, followed by stroke (17.0%), hypertension (11.0%), heart failure (9.6%), arterial disease (2.9%), and other CVD (17.4%).
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In 2017 alone, CVD claimed the lives of 868,662 Americans. CVD causes more American deaths each year than all other cancers and lower respiratory tract infections combined.
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Globally, CVD is the leading cause of death, killing around 18.6 million people in 2019. This represents an increase of 17.1% over the previous decade. There were over 523.2 million cases of CVD in 2019, an increase of 26.6% over the 2010 cases.
None of the data take into account COVID-19. “We are concerned about the overall long-term effects of cardiovascular disease, not just the effects of hunger,” Virani said. theheart.org | Medscape Epistemology.
“Not only does COVID-19 cause damage to the heart, but we also know that people have been delayed in receiving care for heart attack and stroke, which can lead to to one worse effect. That is one indirect effect that COVID-19 has had on cardiovascular disease death., “he said.
“We are also concerned that diet and physical activity have declined in the run-up to pandemic and the epidemic that is affecting mental health and wellbeing that could affect how we take care of our cardiovascular health, “Virani said.
First chapter on pregnancy
New in this year’s statistical update is a chapter dedicated to fetal adverse outcomes, which are known to increase the risk for CVD in mothers and babies.
Fertility complications, including hip-borne disorder, gestational diabetes, premature birth, and low to gestational age at birth, occur in up to 20% of all pregnancies. in the United States.
“All of these fertility problems are associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease in the mother, but also in the children,” Virani said.
“Emphasizing these pregnancy problems will allow clinicians to focus on women who may have acquired these conditions during pregnancy and their children with regular follow-up care,” she said.
This statistical update was prepared by a volunteer writing group on behalf of the American Heart Association Council on the Epidemiology and Prevention Statistics Committee and the Stroke Statistics Subcommittee. Virani reports grant aid from the Department of Veterans Affairs, World Heart Alliance, American Heart Association, and American Diabetes Association; and honoraria from America College of Cardiology.
Circulation. Published online January 27, 2021. Summary