According to the American Heart Association, coronary heart disease, heart failure, stroke or high blood pressure are some of the cardiovascular diseases that nearly half of U.S adults have.
The association’s annual report Heart and Stroke Statistics, showed deaths from cardiovascular disease are on the rise again, with 840,678 deaths recorded in 2016, up from 836,546 in 2015.
“As one of the most common and dangerous risk factors for heart disease and stroke, this overwhelming presence of high blood pressure can’t be dismissed from the equation in our fight against cardiovascular disease,” said Ivor J. Benjamin, M.D., volunteer president of the American Heart Association and director of the Cardiovascular Center at the Medical College of Wisconsin in Milwaukee. “Research has shown that eliminating high blood pressure could have a larger impact on CVD deaths than the elimination of all other risk factors among women and all except smoking among men.”
An APNews article shared some of its findings.
- Heart and blood vessel disease is linked to 1 of every 3 deaths in the United States and kills more Americans than all forms of cancer and respiratory diseases like pneumonia combined.
- Certain groups have higher rates than others; 57 percent of black women and 60 percent of black males.
- Coronary heart disease, or clogged or hardened arteries, caused 43 percent of cardiovascular deaths in the U.S., followed by stroke (17 percent), high blood pressure (10 percent) and heart failure (9 percent).
About 80 percent of cardiovascular disease is preventable by managing high blood pressure, diabetes and high cholesterol, the release says, while adopting healthy behaviors such as exercising, maintaining a healthy weight and not smoking also are key.