Worsening Cardiovascular Risk Factors in U.S. Young Adults

In people aged 20 to 44 years, diabetes and obesity prevalence increased overall, and hypertension increased in Black and Hispanic young adults.

Declines in cardiovascular mortality have stagnated in the U.S. for the past decade. To assess cardiovascular risk factors specifically among U.S. young adults, researchers analyzed National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey data on 12,924 adults, aged 20 to 44 years (51% women), for changes in risk-factor prevalence from 2009–2010 to 2017–2020.

Between the two survey periods, diabetes prevalence increased from 3.0% to 4.1%, obesity from 32.7% to 40.9%. Hypertension prevalence increased nonsignificantly overall, from 9.3% to 11.5%, but significant hypertension increases were found for Black (from 16.2% to 20.1%), Mexican American (6.5% to 9.5%), and other Hispanic (4.4% to 10.5%) young adults. Treatment and control rates for hypertensi…

Reviewing Author

Karol E. Watson, MD, PhD, FACC

Disclosures

Consultant/Advisory BoardBoehringer Ingelheim; Amgen; Novartis; Lilly; Amarin

Speaker’s BureauBoehringer Ingelheim

Grant/Research SupportNIH

Editorial BoardsCirculation (Associate Editor)