ACC: Young U.S. Adults Face High, Rising Burden of Cardiovascular Risk Factors

TUESDAY, March 7, 2023 (HealthDay News) -- The prevalence of diabetes and obesity increased and the prevalence of hypertension did not decrease among young adults in the United States from 2009 through March 2020, according to a study published online March 5 in the Journal of the American Medical Association to coincide with the annual meeting of the American College of Cardiology, held from March 4 to 6 in New Orleans.

Rahul Aggarwal, M.D., from the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Harvard Medical School in Boston, and colleagues examined the prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors, treatment rates, and control among 12,924 adults aged 20 to 44 years from 2009 through March 2020.

The researchers found that from 2009-2010 to 2017-2020, the prevalence of hypertension remained relatively stable (9.3 to 11.5 percent); the prevalence of diabetes increased from 3.0 to 4.1 percent; the prevalence of obesity increased from 32.7 to 40.9 percent; and the prevalence of hyperlipidemia decreased from 40.5 to 36.1 percent. Across the study period, Black adults had high rates of hypertension (16.2 percent in 2009-2010 and 20.1 percent in 2017-2020), and significant increases in hypertension were seen for Mexican American adults (6.5 to 9.5 percent) and other Hispanic adults (4.4 to 10.5 percent); Mexican Americans had a significant increase in diabetes (4.3 to 7.5 percent). There was no significant change observed in the percentage of adults treated for hypertension who achieved blood pressure control (65.0 to 74.8 percent), while among those receiving treatment for diabetes, glycemic control remained suboptimal (45.5 to 56.6 percent).

"The national increases in diabetes and obesity among young adults in the United States have major public health implications," the authors write.

Abstract/Full Text

Editorial

More Information