- About half of people in the United States don’t know that heart disease is the leading cause of death in their country.
- Mortality rates from heart disease have increased in recent years.
- Experts say slow progress, denial and misplaced skepticism contribute to the lack of knowledge about the disease.
Heart disease has been
More than half of Americans still don’t know it.
new
A public opinion poll released at the same time
“Based on the most recent data available, heart disease and stroke are the fifth leading cause of death, killing more lives in the United States than all forms of cancer and chronic lower respiratory disease combined,” said Dr. Joseph Wu. They are stealing,” he said. President of the American Heart Association, Director of the Stanford Heart and Vascular Institute, and Professor of Medicine and Radiology at Stanford School of Medicine in California, said in a press release. “So this finding that most people are unaware of the serious consequences of heart disease is discouraging and even a little frightening.”
The report notes that the lack of awareness about mortality from heart disease contrasts with the fact that nearly half of all Americans have some form of cardiovascular disease, including coronary heart disease, heart failure, stroke, and high blood pressure. He pointed out that there is.
Since 1950, mortality rates from cardiovascular disease have decreased by 60%, but have recently been on the rise. Most deaths are caused by high blood pressure. Over the past decade, the age-adjusted mortality rate from hypertension has increased by 65%, the report notes.
However, 38% of people with hypertension were not aware that they had high blood pressure.
“I cannot stress enough how important it is that people are fully aware of the impact that cardiovascular disease, including heart disease and stroke, has on each of us as individuals and as communities. It can’t be too much,” Wu said. “Even if you don’t have heart disease yourself, chances are you know someone in your family or loved one who does.”
Experts say there are many reasons why the toll of heart disease is not fully recognized.
“The misconception that heart disease is primarily a disease of older men and has classic symptoms leads to underdiagnosis and undertreatment,” says Leanne Poston, health educator at Ohio-based Invigor Medical. says the doctor.told in research Today’s medical news. “People may not want to admit that heart disease is the leading cause of death. Many of the risk factors for heart disease require lifestyle modifications, such as losing weight, smoking cessation, and eating a heart-healthy diet. This is because it is difficult to implement.”
“It’s important to note that this is an important step in the study,” said Dr. Bernadette Borden-Albala, director and founding dean of the public health program at the University of California, Irvine, who was not involved in the study. Today’s medical news Misplaced skepticism also plays a role.
“Public health workers work every day, often behind the scenes, on ways to keep people healthy,” she said. “That’s why it’s so disheartening to see attacks on the field of public health professionals, institutions, and advocates…An anti-science movement rooted in skepticism, misinformation, and sometimes outright ignorance is a pandemic… with anti-vaccine, anti-mask, anti-public health influencers and protesters. ”
Dr. Seth Martin, chair of the 2024 American Heart Association Report Statistical Update Committee and a cardiologist and professor of medicine at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine in Maryland, said heart disease is a “silent killer.” He said that the fact that it is also a hindrance. Recognizing the cost of doing so.
“While cancer is getting more attention, cardiovascular disease progresses slowly over decades as plaque builds up in the arteries,” Martin said. Today’s medical news.
Experts say improved public health messaging could increase awareness of heart disease.
“We need people like Taylor Swift to spread the word,” Martin suggested. “We need to express it in fun ways, like cooking healthy meals with our families or participating in sports. There are opportunities to make it part of the culture.”
Martin views the statistical report as a “half-full story,” saying he is encouraged by the fact that half of Americans recognize that heart disease plays a significant role in mortality. I chose.
“It’s humbling how much work still needs to be done, but I don’t see this as a failure, but a call to action,” he said.
Martin and other experts say the recent increase in deaths from heart disease is due to the COVID-19 pandemic and lockdowns, both in preventive care and treatment for heart disease and other diseases. This may be partially due to decreased access to
Borden-Albaba added that for some people, lack of access to care is a chronic condition, contributing to disproportionate rates of heart disease and related deaths.
“Why does the prevalence of high blood pressure among black Americans lead the world?
