WVEL Health Scope Now: Heart/Blood Vessel Disease

(Photo By Flickr User Marco Verch)

 

A new report estimates nearly half of all U.S. adults have some form of heart or blood vessel disease, a medical milestone that’s mostly due to recent guidelines that expanded how many people have high blood pressure.

According to Rejoice! Musical Soul Food & WNBC-TV, The American Heart Association said more than 121 million adults had cardiovascular disease in 2016.

Taking out those with only high blood pressure leaves 24 million, or 9 percent of adults, who have other forms of disease such as heart failure or clogged arteries.

“Measuring the burden of diseases shows areas that need to improve, the heart association’s chief science and medical officer,” Dr. Mariell Jessup, said in a statement.

High blood pressure, which had long been defined as a top reading of at least 140 or a bottom one of 90, dropped to 130 over 80 under guidelines adopted in 2017.

U.S. News

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