Rates of hypertension-related cardiovascular deaths have nearly doubled in the past 20 years, according to the inaugural “Cardiovascular Statistics 2026” report published Jan. 12 in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.
The report draws on data from national surveys, clinical registrations, health insurance claims and statistics to offer a “comprehensive picture” of cardiovascular health in the U.S., the American College of Cardiology said in a Jan. 12 news release.
Here are eight things to know from the report:
- Hypertension prevalence, treatment and control rates showed little change between 2009 and 2023. The condition continues to affect 1 in every 2 adults.
- Diabetes prevalence and Type 2 diabetes-related mortality have increased over the past 15 years.
The greatest increase in prevalence was seen among young adults, low-income and non-Hispanic Black populations. - Obesity affects more than 40% of adults in the U.S., and rates are increasing across all demographics. The obesity rate “has reached epidemic proportions,” the report authors said.
Obesity prevalence and treatment utilization varies widely across sex, race and ethnicity. Similarly, the majority of adults at a high-risk for high low-density lipoprotein cholesterol do not receive guideline-recommended care. - Acute myocardial infarction-related hospitalizations and mortality have both declined, though the report did find a recent rise in hospitalizations among young adults.
“Persistent and widening disparities by race and ethnicity, sex, socioeconomic status and geography” threaten to reverse the declining hospitalization and mortality rates, the study authors wrote. - Heart failure-related mortality has increased since 2011, with the largest increases occurring during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Despite affecting about 6.7 million individuals in the U.S., the use of guideline-directed medical therapies among patients with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction “remains suboptimal.” - The highest rates of stroke occur among American Indian/Alaska Native and Black adults, as well as residents of the Southeast.
About 160,000 individuals died from stroke in 2023. While mortality has declined since 1975, the report found signs that trend may be reversing among Black and middle-age adults.
- Coronary artery disease prevalence decreased from 1990 to 2015 but has steadily increased since 2019.
Coronary artery disease-related mortality decreased by about 50% between 2000 and 2020.
Only 1 in 2 adults with coronary heart disease receives optimal medical therapy. - Cigarette smoking rates substantially declined between 2009 and 2023 among U.S. adults overall, but remained about twice as high among low-income adults when compared to higher-income adults.
Read the full report here.
