A new report published in Jama Cardiology shows many adults are unaware they have either high blood pressure, diabetes, or high cholesterol, all risk factors for developing cardiovascular disease.
This comes at a time when deaths from cardiovascular disease are on the rise.
That’s true, of course; we’re not immortal, but the issue is based on a dramatic increase in our knowledge of cardiovascular disease.
People shouldn’t die from it prematurely, and that’s what we’re starting to see increases among younger adults and women, and that ties into what this study found.
Younger adults between 20 and 44 had the most significant increase in their lack of awareness of their high blood pressure over the last 10 years, and currently have the least understanding.
With about one in three unaware, they have high blood pressure. When it came to having diabetes, among those 20-44, two in five were unaware of having diabetes, and one in four had no idea they had high cholesterol.
So, what’s the message that can help people become more aware?
Some of the increase has been building over the last decade, but COVID-19, along with the decline in regular health checkups and screenings, has accelerated the problem.
The first step in addressing the problem is to raise awareness among young people that it exists.
Still, beyond this, young people need to get screened for high blood pressure, diabetes, and cholesterol problems, and here’s my pitch: assuming those problems don’t kill you prematurely, living with those problems long-term means your later years won’t be healthy.
You’ll see, it’s not only about living longer. It’s about living healthier longer.
You focused on a lack of awareness in younger people. When examining all age groups, awareness was better but still fell short.
About one in six adults was unaware of having high blood pressure, and three in 10 were unaware of having diabetes.