Cardiovascular

• Between 1999-2022, US mortality rates exceeded other high-income countries by 38% in 2022, leading to 12.7 million preventable 'missing Americans' deaths. • Cardiovascular diseases topped causes, followed by metabolic conditions like diabetes, Alzheimer's, and drug/alcohol complications, per Boston University study in JAMA Network Open. • Excess deaths rose steadily through 2019 and spiked during COVID-19, highlighting failures in health, social, and economic policies.

• The American Heart Association released a warning that 60% of US women are projected to develop cardiovascular disease by 2050, reflecting trends in aging populations and risk factor prevalence. • The projection underscores disparities in cardiovascular health outcomes between men and women and highlights the growing public health burden of heart disease. • This forecast emphasizes the need for enhanced prevention strategies, early intervention programs, and targeted health policy initiatives focused on women's cardiovascular health.

• Researchers from Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health published findings on March 19 in Environmental Health Perspectives linking fine particulate matter (PM2.5) exposure to a 3.2% increase in cardiovascular hospital admissions within two days in major US metropolitan areas. • The analysis of 15 million hospital records across 50 US cities over 12 years found that a 10 microgram per cubic meter increase in PM2.5 correlates with approximately 4,200 additional cardiovascular hospitalizations annually across studied cities. • The research supports EPA air quality standards and highlights urgent need for pollution control measures, as cardiovascular disease remains the leading cause of death in the United States affecting 126 million Americans.