{"id":37354,"date":"2022-10-13T05:22:00","date_gmt":"2022-10-13T05:22:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.bensnaturalhealth.com\/blog\/?post_type=generalhealth&p=37354"},"modified":"2026-04-05T08:24:27","modified_gmt":"2026-04-05T08:24:27","slug":"heart-health-in-america","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.bensnaturalhealth.com\/blog\/general-health\/heart-health-in-america\/","title":{"rendered":"Only 1 in 5 People in the U.S. Has Optimal Heart Health"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

A healthy heart is worth the effort. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is here to keep your overall health in tip-top shape. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

And the better your overall health, the easier it is to reduce the odds of heart problems and maintain stable blood pressure and cholesterol levels. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

But, peak heart health is rare in the United States. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

A 2022 study<\/a> from the American Heart Association shows that 80% of American adults have low-to-moderate cardiovascular health. (1)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That means a fraction of the population enjoys ideal heart health. This affects all of us. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In fact, cardiovascular ailments constantly rank as the number one cause of death in the region.<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This even exceeds many forms of cancer, like breast cancer, for example. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Experts used the Life Essential 8 Metrics to determine the latest overall heart health and its impact on cardiovascular disease in the US. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Only 1 in 5 people in the U.S. has optimal heart health <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Roughly 1 in 5 Americans have optimal cardiovascular health. Using the Life Essential 8 metrics, experts found that the average heart health score was 64.7 for American adults and 65.5 for American children. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Just 0.45% of adults had a score of 100 on Life\u2019s Essential 8 metric.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The analysis indicates that 17.9% of U.S. adults had low cardiovascular health, 62.5% moderate, and 19.6% high cardiovascular health. Adult men had slightly lower average health scores (62.5) than women (67). Overall, the adults scored lowest in BMI, exercise, and diet. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Although the heart health scores were typically lower for people of older ages, what stood out was that children\u2019s diet scores were very low, with an average score of 40.6. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is crucial, considering children are at the most important stages of development and growth. Keeping the heart in good shape in children is vital for avoiding heart diseases<\/a> later in life.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When analyzing the scores between different ethnic and racial groups, the study found that Asian Non-Hispanic Americans had a higher average heart health score than other ethnic or racial groups. White Non-Hispanic individuals had the 2nd highest average score. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

These sociodemographic scores, however, vary based on a person\u2019s nicotine exposure, diet, blood pressure, and blood sugar.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"pure<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Heart disease statistics<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Sometimes it is difficult to prioritize your heart health. That\u2019s because the threat doesn\u2019t seem immediate or tangible. And taking the necessary prevention effects seems like it is overwhelming your life. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

But, when you start small, you can take charge of your entire cardiovascular health. Here are some of the most important facts about heart health you should know.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Heart disease in the US is a prevalent problem. The overall heart disease deaths rates (per 100,000) was 251.2 in 2007. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Many of those affected were younger than 65. While roughly a third of deaths from heart disease happened before the age of 75, heart disease statistics show. These are undeniable cardiovascular disease facts. (2)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 2016, about 17.9 million people worldwide died from cardiovascular diseases (CVD). These heart disease rates represent 31% of all global deaths. 85% of these were due to cerebrovascular disease and ischemic heart disease. (3)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The heart disease mortality rate has recently decreased in high-income, developed countries. But, the global death rate of CVD is estimated to continue increasing as CVD keeps increasing in middle-income and low-income countries. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

CVD is one of the costliest diseases. It represents a major economic burden. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In fact, the costs of heart disease in the US amounted to $229 billion annually from 2017-2018. That includes health care costs, loss of productivity, and medicine. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Life\u2019s essential 8<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Researchers for the 2022 study incorporated Life\u2019s Essential 8 metrics into the Association\u2019s My Life Check tool. The goal was to evaluate the cardiovascular health score. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The evidence was based on 8 critical components for optimal brain health and heart health<\/a>. These include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

  1. Sleep duration<\/li>
  2. Exercise<\/li>
  3. Body mass index (BMI)<\/li>
  4. Blood pressure<\/li>
  5. Nicotine exposure<\/li>
  6. Diet<\/li>
  7. Blood lipids<\/li>
  8. Blood glucose  <\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    This is an upgraded algorithm from the previous scientifically proven Life\u2019s Simple 7, which did not take sleep health<\/a> into account. Life\u2019s Essential 8 is also revamped to be more sensitive to differences among groups of people. After evaluating all the metrics, experts can get a score from 0 to 100.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    In other words, the healthiest and highest score for cardiovascular health is 100. A score under 50 means \u201clow\u201d cardiovascular health. A score from 50 to 79 means \u201cmoderate,\u201d and a score above 80 means \u201chigh\u201d cardiovascular health. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    The reason why health problems like heart disease in the US can be such potential issues is that among 23,400 American adults and children without a cardiovascular ailment, the overall cardiovascular health was under optimal. The first study showed that 80% of adults had a low or moderate score level. This puts a heavy strain on the heart.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \"how<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

    Heart disease risk factors<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    Many different health conditions, including your family history, age, and lifestyle, can increase the odds of heart disease.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    These are classic risk factors. Roughly 47% of Americans have at least 1 of 3 crucial risk factors for heart problems. These are smoking, high cholesterol<\/a>, and high blood pressure<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    There are some cardiovascular disease risk factors you can\u2019t control, like family history or old age<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    But, you can take the necessary precautions and change some risk factors you can control. Like tobacco use, for example. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Using tobacco amplifies the risk of heart attack and heart disease. It can damage the blood vessels and make people vulnerable to health problems such as atherosclerosis<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Nicotine increases blood pressure. In the U.S, the smoking prevalence is alarming.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    In 2020, almost 13 of 100 American adults, 18 or over, smoked or were currently smoking cigarettes. That\u2019s about 30.8 million adults who are active smokers. And well over 16 million are living with some kind of cigarette-related disease.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \"organic<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

    How to maintain optimal heart health<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    According to the American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine, some lifestyle changes can notably impact your heart problem prevention program. This includes: (4)<\/p>\n\n\n\n