Diabetes and obesity are both rising in prevalence, according to a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), and the increases could be part of the reason cardiovascular mortality has stagnated over the past decade.
The study, which was conducted by Boston-based researchers, aimed to look at cardiovascular risk factors in U.S. adults between the ages of 20 and 44 who participated in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). Researchers analyzed the prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors, including hypertension, diabetes, hyperlipidemia, obesity and smoking history, based on medical examination data, including blood pressure, hemoglobin A1c, total cholesterol and body mass index.
Almost 13,000 patients were included in the study, and their records collectively show that several cardiovascular risk factors have increased in prevalence over time. For example, hypertension prevalence rose from 9.3% in 2009-2010 to 11.5% in 2017-2020.
Additionally, “the prevalence of diabetes increased significantly over this period,” wrote first author Rahul Aggarwal, MD, of Harvard Medical School and Brigham and Women’s Hospital, et al. Namely, the prevalence of diabetes rose from 3% in 2009-2010 to 4.1% in 2017-2020. Obesity rose from 32.7% in 2009-2010 to 40.9% in 2017-2020.
The researchers noted there was no change in smoking history, though the prevalence of hyperlipidemia significantly decreased over time.
“The national increases in diabetes and obesity among young adults in the US have major public health implications,” the researchers wrote. “The rise in obesity—to more than 40% in young adults—corresponds with increases in sedentary behaviors over the same period and likely contributed to other cardiometabolic trends observed in our study.”
The study underscores the growing need for population-level efforts to head off heart disease, which is the leading cause of death in the U.S.
“Overall, our findings highlight the need to intensify public health and clinical interventions focused on primordial and primary prevention for young adults, given evidence that cardiovascular disease mortality may now be rising in this population, as well as the potential adverse long-term public health impact of these trends in risk factors on lifetime rates of acute myocardial infarction, stroke and heart failure,” Aggarwal et al wrote.
Amy joined TriMed Media as a Senior Writer for HealthExec after covering home care for three years. When not writing about all things healthcare, she fulfills her lifelong dream of becoming a pirate by sailing in regattas and enjoying rum. Fun fact: she sailed 333 miles across Lake Michigan in the Chicago Yacht Club "Race to Mackinac."