Majority of US women will have cardiovascular disease by 2050, AHA forecasts

The American Heart Association (AHA) warns that 60% of US women will have one type of cardiovascular disease by 2050, fueled by increased diabetes rates, high blood pressure, and obesity. 

The results come from a scientific statement made by the association, which stresses that one in four women today aged 20–44 has some type of cardiovascular disease. In 25 years, that number is expected to increase to one-third, and 32% of girls aged two to 19 are expected to be obese.

Karen Joynt Maddox, a professor of medicine and public health, says one in three women will die from a cardiovascular disease. She is also the co-director of the Center for Advancing Health Services, Policy, and Economics Research at Washington University, US.

“Additionally, more than 62 million women in the US are living with some type of cardiovascular disease, and that comes with a price tag of at least US$200 billion annually. Our estimates indicate that if we stay on the current path, these numbers will grow substantially over the next 25 to 30 years.”

The association says that 80% of cardiovascular diseases can be prevented and recommends four healthy behaviors to reduce these rates: eat better, be more active, get healthy sleep, and quit tobacco. It also urges managing weight, cholesterol, blood sugar, and blood pressure.

Leading cause of death

The report, published in Circulation, forecasts that by 2050, 60% of US women are expected to suffer high blood pressure, 25% will have diabetes, and over 60% will be obese.

The report says by 2050, 60% of women are expected to suffer high blood pressure, 25% will have diabetes, and over 60% will be obese.It used data from the 2015–2020 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, the 2015–2019 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey, and census estimates for population growth.

“Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death for women and remains their number one health risk overall,” says Stacey Rosen, volunteer president of the AHA and executive director of the Katz Institute for Women’s Health and SVP of women’s health.

“While many people may think these conditions, such as high blood pressure, only occur in older women, we know this is not the case. We know the factors that contribute to heart disease and stroke begin early in life, even among young women and girls.”

“The impact is even greater among those experiencing adverse social determinants of health, such as poverty, low literacy, rural residence, and other psychosocial stressors. Identifying the types of trends outlined in this report is critical to making meaningful changes that can reverse this course.”

Gnosis by Lesaffre recently told Nutrition Insights that nutrient-depleting diets can cause deficiencies in folate and vitamin K, increasing the risk of cardiovascular disease. Globally, 73% of women of reproductive age are deficient in folate, and 54% of the world’s population does not consume a sufficient amount through food.

Recent studies have found that pecans, mangoes, and avocados are beneficial for heart health.

Lifestyle and nutrition

The high obesity rate for young girls is driven by a lack of physical activity rather than a poor diet, the report says.

The association says health systems should consider social challenges such as access to healthy foods.“This trend in increased health risks among girls and young women is particularly disturbing, as it indicates they will be facing chronic health issues for most of their lives. Women are already at increased risk for so many of these health conditions due to factors unique to them throughout their lifespan,” adds Rosen.

“Significant health changes during pregnancy, perimenopause, and menopause make it particularly important to pay close attention to increases in health risk factors during those times.”

It states that health systems should consider how social challenges, such as access to healthy food, transportation, or safe housing, in combination with medical risks, can be used to design interventions that improve heart health.

Nutrition Insight recently sat down with representatives from the Physicians Association for Nutrition International about integrating nutrition into healthcare. They argued it is crucial to promote healthy diets, focusing on prevention rather than treatment.

They told us a shift toward integrative medicine would open the door for policymakers to step up and set standards, incentives, and accountability mechanisms that align with preventive care and dietary strategies. It also presents an innovation opportunity for the nutrition industry to reformulate products into healthier alternatives.

The new report concludes: “The prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors and disease in women and girls will increase over the next 30 years. Focused clinical and public health interventions are needed across the life course to address these adverse trends.”