MISSION, Kan., in 2023 June 12 (PRNewswire) — (Family Features) Now, more than three years after the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, the impact can be seen more clearly.
For example, the increase in cardiovascular disease (CVD) deaths in 2020, the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, is the largest single-year increase in CVD deaths since 2015. and surpassed the previous record set in 2003. to the most recent available Heart Disease and Stroke Statistics—American Heart Association 2023 update.
The largest increases in cardiovascular-related deaths were among Asians, blacks, and Hispanics, the populations most affected in the early days of the pandemic and the focus of widening structural and societal disparities.
“We know that COVID-19 has taken a huge toll, and preliminary data from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shows a significant increase in deaths from all causes since the start of the pandemic,” he said. Michelle A. Albert, MD, MPH, FAHA, Volunteer President of the American Heart Association, is also the Walter A. Haas-Lucie Stern Endowed Professor of Cardiology, Professor of Medicine at the University of California at San Francisco (UCSF) and Dean of Admissions at the UCSF School of Medicine. “Unsurprisingly, this likely led to an increase in cardiovascular deaths, although this is alarming. In fact, the association predicted this trend, which is now official.”
“Covid-19 has both direct and indirect effects on cardiovascular health. As we learned, the virus is associated with new clots and inflammation. We also know that many people who had or already had symptoms of heart disease and stroke did not want to see a doctor, especially in the early days of the pandemic. As a result, people had advanced cardiovascular disease and needed more acute or urgent treatment for chronic conditions they could manage. Unfortunately, it appears to have cost many lives.
According to Albert, who is also director of the UCSF Center for Accident and Cardiovascular Disease Research (NURTURE Center) and a leader in health equity and disaster research, the higher the number of deaths from coronary heart disease among Asians, black, and Hispanic adults appear to correlate with people most commonly infected with COVID-19.
“People from communities of color were among those most affected, especially early on, often because of a disproportionate burden of cardiovascular risk factors such as hypertension and obesity,” said Albert. “Additionally, there are socioeconomic considerations, as well as the ongoing effects of structural racism on many factors, including limiting access to quality health care.”
To learn more about the impact of COVID-19 on CVD, visit heart.org/statistics.
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Michael French
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