Nearly Half of U.S. Adults Have Heart Disease

A cardiologist practicing in Owensboro, Kentucky, Peter Gregor, MD, leverages more than 20 years of medical experience to provide patients with a wide range of heart-related care. During the course of his career, Peter Gregor, MD, has handled numerous conditions, including systolic and diastolic heart failure and heart disease.

According to the American Heart Association, close to half of all adults in the United States have heart disease. Compiled from data collected between 2013 and 2016, this statistic was published online in Circulation. Based on the information, roughly 121.5 million adults in the U.S., or 48 percent, had cardiovascular disease. By 2035, it’s estimated that 130 million adults will have cardiovascular disease and that treating these individuals will cost more than $1 trillion.

To round out its findings, the report also examined statistics relating to stroke and seven cardiovascular risk factors. In 2016, stroke accounted for about one in every 19 deaths in the U.S. Meanwhile, coronary heart disease caused 13 percent of all deaths during that same year.

In terms of risk factors, data showed that one in six males and one in seven females were current smokers. This amounted to 15.5 percent of all adults in the U.S. Adolescents between 12 and 17 years old added an additional 3.4 percent; however, the report only looked at whether youth had smoked cigarettes in the previous month and not whether they were regular smokers.

More than 25 percent of adults also stated that they did not engage in leisure-time physical activity during 2016. Although nutrition has improved in the U.S., the lack of exercise likely contributes to the fact that 46 percent of all U.S. adults have hypertension.

Congenital Heart Disease and Pregnancy

Trained in family medicine, internal medicine, and cardiology, Peter Gregor, MD, possesses more than 35 years of experience in inpatient consultations and non-invasive cardiology procedures. Alongside other medical professionals, Peter Gregor, MD, founded Kentucky Grown Up Heart Disease, which works to improve patient outcomes for people living with congenital heart disease (CHD).

Women with CHD generally experience high-risk pregnancies, and as such, should talk to their physicians well in advance of becoming pregnant to mitigate the risks to themselves and the fetus. 

For example, mothers with forms of CHD that are caused by genetic factors should consult a geneticist and monitor the fetus’ heart development with routine ultrasounds. Additionally, the mother’s medication regimen should be reviewed by an experienced physician and adjusted to reduce harm to the fetus. 

Since physiological changes to the body during the third trimester can greatly impact blood pressure, women with CHD must be closely monitored during the last months of pregnancy. While many CHD pregnancies are delivered via C-section, this choice is determined on a case-by-case basis and most women are able to deliver vaginally.