Latest news with #KeithChurchwell
Associated Press
4 days ago
- Health
- Associated Press
Where there s smoke, there s fire and heart health risks
( NewMediaWire ) - May 30, 2025 - DALLAS — Smoke from Canada wildfires is rapidly drifting into the U.S. and the American Heart Association, a global force changing the future of health for all, warns that this wildfire smoke exposure may pose an increased risk for heart disease. 'While breathing problems and respiratory health dangers are often considered the biggest health impact from wildfire smoke, it's important to recognize the impact on cardiovascular health, as well.,' said Keith Churchwell, M.D., FAHA, American Heart Association volunteer president, an associate clinical Professor of Medicine at Yale School of Medicine in New Haven, Connecticut and adjunct Associate Professor of Medicine at the Vanderbilt School of Medicine, Nashville, Tennessee. 'Wildfire smoke contains a lot of pollutants including fine, microscopic particles linked to cardiovascular risk. As these fires continue to burn that contaminated smoke is traveling many miles beyond the immediately affected area.' Several research studies have linked smoke exposure to an increased risk of sudden cardiac arrest and a higher volume of visits to local emergency rooms for other cardiovascular disease-related causes. People with underlying cardiovascular disease risk factors may be at risk for an acute cardiovascular event when exposed to wildfire smoke. According to the American Heart Association, recognizing the signs of a heart attack or stroke are important. Churchwell urges pay attention to your body and call 911 if you have: Additionally, knowing and performing CPR can more than double the chance of survival in the event of a cardiac arrest. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, in collaboration with other government and private agencies, offers a zip code-level tracking map of current air quality at Churchwell recommends checking that site regularly if you're seeing signs of wildfire smoke and haze developing where you live. It's also important to stay informed about any special alerts sent out by your local health department. Churchwell offers the following tips for reducing exposure to wildfire smoke: 'While these types of wildfires and the extent of their smoke reach can't always be predicted, protecting yourself and your family from poor air quality throughout the year is something to consider,' Churchwell said. 'In the American Heart Association's 2020 scientific statement on air pollution exposure, we note that one of the most effective measures is the use of portable air cleaners, which have been shown to reduce indoor particulate matter by as much as 50-60%. Given their modest upfront cost ($50-200) and potential benefits in reducing cardiopulmonary outcomes, this measure has a high benefit for the cost.' Churchwell said while most people in the U.S. are not directly impacted by the physical wildfires burning in Canada, the exposure to this lingering smoke can be extremely harmful and shouldn't be taken for granted. 'Protect yourself, be alert and prepared,' he said. The American Heart Association has resources to help at Additional Resources: ### For Media Inquiries and AHA/ASA Expert Perspective: 214-706-1173 Cathy Lewis: 214-706-1324, [email protected] For Public Inquiries: 1-800-AHA-USA1 (242-8721) and
Yahoo
06-02-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
When it comes to heart and brain health, these are numbers you should know
Feb. 5—American Heart Association News Heart disease is once again the leading cause of death in the U.S., according to a new statistical report from the American Heart Association. Cardiovascular diseases, which include heart disease and stroke, claimed more lives in the U.S. than all forms of cancer and accidental deaths — the No. 2 and No. 3 causes of death — combined. But that key stat from the annual update, published Monday in the AHA journal Circulation, is not the only one worthy of your attention. Here are other details about the state of heart disease and stroke in the U.S. — and how you can use that info to increase your own odds of staying healthy. 1. A post-COVID decline, but still a problem According to the report, in 2022 (the most recent year for which final data is available) the overall number of cardiovascular disease-related deaths in the U.S. was 941,652, an increase of more than 10,000 from 2021. But the rate of deaths from cardiovascular disease that adjusted for age fell slightly, from 233.3 per 100,000 in 2021 to 224.3 in 2022. Cardiovascular-related deaths appear to be leveling off after an increase during the COVID-19 pandemic. Age-adjusted death rates dropped for all but one of the 10 leading causes of death: kidney disease. But nearly 2,500 people in the U.S. are still dying from cardiovascular disease every day, Dr. Keith Churchwell, the AHA's president, said in a news release. "Those are alarming statistics to me — and they should be alarming for all of us, because it's likely many among those whom we lose will be our friends and loved ones," said Churchwell, an associate clinical professor of medicine at Yale School of Medicine in New Haven, Connecticut, and an adjunct associate professor of medicine at the Vanderbilt School of Medicine in Nashville, Tennessee. 2. The numbers behind those numbers According to the update, nearly 47% of adults in the U.S. have high blood pressure, and 57% of adults have been diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes or prediabetes. High blood pressure and diabetes are major cardiovascular risk factors. Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death and disability among people with Type 2 diabetes, which occurs when the body is unable to efficiently use the insulin it makes or when the pancreas loses its capacity to produce insulin. Blood pressure levels may be affected by many factors, such as being overweight, smoking, not getting enough physical activity, eating a poor diet or too much sodium or not getting good sleep. Diet and exercise also are among the targets for reducing the risk of heart disease among people with Type 2 diabetes, along with managing blood sugar and cholesterol levels, not smoking and not drinking alcohol. 3. Obesity remains a problem Obesity is growing among young people and globally. Around 40% of children in the U.S. have an unhealthy weight, which is defined as a body mass index in the 85th percentile or higher. About 20% have obesity, which is defined as a BMI in the 95th percentile or higher. Globally, nearly 60% of adults have an unhealthy weight. In the U.S., about 71% of adults have unhealthy weight, and about 42% have obesity. (In adults, an unhealthy weight is defined as a BMI of 25 or higher, and obesity is defined as a BMI of 30 or more.) "In the update, we noted calculations that found excess weight contributes to as many as 1,300 additional deaths per day in the U.S., nearly 500,000 per year," Dr. Latha P. Palaniappan, vice chair of the report's writing committee, said in the news release. Excess weight lowers life expectancy by as much as 2.4 years compared to a healthy weight, said Palaniappan, a professor of cardiovascular medicine at Stanford University in California. "Being overweight is the new smoking when it comes to health threats." 4. Concerns about kidneys While age-adjusted death rates dropped in nine other categories in 2022, kidney disease death rates increased 1.5%. "Kidney disease has actually been on the rise over the past decade," writing committee chair Dr. Seth S. Martin said in the news release. "The reason this is important is that, first, cardiovascular disease is a major contributor to kidney disease," said Martin, a professor of medicine and cardiologist at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine in Baltimore. "Second, the risk factors of these diseases are closely interrelated. These include high blood pressure, obesity and diabetes — all health conditions that are rising substantially across the U.S. and the world." Among Medicare beneficiaries, kidney disease increased from 9.2% in 2011 to 14.2% in 2021, the report said. The global prevalence of kidney disease has increased more than 27% in relative terms since 2010, Martin said. 5. Cardiovascular disease not the same for every group In an editorial that accompanied the statistics report, Dr. Dhruv S. Kazi, head of health economics and associate director of the Richard A. and Susan F. Smith Center for Outcomes Research in Cardiology at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston, wrote it was important to acknowledge that "although (cardiovascular disease) affects us all, it doesn't affect us all equally." Some examples: — Overall obesity prevalence ranged from a low of 14.5% among Asian women to a high of 57.9% among Black women. — Overall diabetes prevalence ranged from a high of 14.5% among Hispanic men to a low of 7.7% among white women. — Black women had the highest rate of high blood pressure at 58.4%; the lowest rate, 35.3%, was among Hispanic women. "These disparities in risk and outcomes call for tailored interventions among high-risk populations," wrote Kazi, who also is an associate professor at Harvard Medical School. "A good place to start is to ensure that every member of the population can access affordable, high-quality care for the prevention and treatment of (cardiovascular disease)." 6. Good news on tobacco and cholesterol Smoking greatly raises the risk for heart disease and stroke. So it's good news that smoking rates have been on a steady decline. The AHA update says: — Since the U.S. surgeon general's first report on the health dangers of smoking, age-adjusted prevalence of smoking among adults has declined, from 51% of men smoking in 1965 to 15.6% in 2018. Among women, it has fallen from 34% in 1965 to 12% in 2018. — In 2023, 12.6% of high school students reported current use of any tobacco product, compared to 16.5% in 2022. — About 28% of high school students reported ever using any tobacco product in 2023, compared to about 34% in 2022. — Among high school students, 10% reported using e-cigarettes in 2023, compared to 14.1% in 2022. "Another positive trend over the years has been a reduction in the rates of high cholesterol," Churchwell said. "That's likely thanks, in part, to increased awareness about the dietary and lifestyle factors that impact cholesterol levels, along with the availability of medications and better clinical control." Recent clinical research has identified new medications to address obesity as well, he said, "and we look forward to learning more about those advances as the body of science builds." More importantly, Churchwell said, "we need to stop these risk factors in their tracks, keep people healthy throughout their lifespan. That will only be possible with a strong emphasis on early prevention and equitable health access for all." American Heart Association News covers heart and brain health. Not all views expressed in this story reflect the official position of the American Heart Association. Copyright is owned or held by the American Heart Association, Inc., and all rights are reserved.
Yahoo
30-01-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Leading Cause of Death in US Claims A Life Every 34 Seconds
Someone dies of heart disease about every 34 seconds in the US, according to a new report, confirming the often preventable condition as the nation's leading cause of death. "Those are alarming statistics to me – and they should be alarming for all of us, because it's likely many among those whom we lose will be our friends and loved ones," says physician Keith Churchwell, president of the American Heart Association. The 2025 Heart Disease and Stroke Statistics Update analyzed the most recent data available, finding a total of 941,652 US deaths in 2022 from cardiovascular disease, which includes all diseases of the circulatory system. The number of cardiac disease deaths in the 2022 CDC data was followed by the number of deaths from cancer, accidents, and then COVID-19. "Too many people are dying from heart disease and from stroke which remains the 5th leading cause of death," continues Churchwell. "Together, they kill more people than all cancers and accidental deaths combined." What's more, known heart disease risk factors, including high blood pressure, diabetes, and obesity continue to rise. If such trends continue hypertension and obesity will impact more than 180 million adults in the US by 2050. In an accompanying commentary, Harvard University cardiologist Dhruv Kazi notes some of the more recent data, especially for children and adolescents, may be impacted by lifestyle changes imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic. The comprehensive report points out that one of the biggest culprits is poor diet. Most Americans do not eat enough healthy, unprocessed foods. Heavily plant based diets like the Mediterranean or vegetarian diets are recommended for heart health. Getting enough sleep, exercise, and managing stress and mental health all also contribute. The report acknowledges that environmental factors, including education, income, and neighborhood availability, greatly impact food and other lifestyle choices. For example, the increasing cost of groceries can dissuade people from making healthy food choices. As such, marginalized minority groups continue to face the greatest barriers to healthy heart choices and more heart stressors, as reflected by the heart disease outcomes. "The age‐adjusted obesity-related cardiovascular mortality was noted to be highest among Black individuals, followed by American Indian individuals or Alaska Native individuals," the report explains. The good news is that smoking, another major risk factor, has fallen dramatically from 42 percent of the US adult population in the 1960s to 11.5 percent. "Excess weight now costs us even more lives than smoking – as smoking rates have actually fallen in recent years," says Stanford University cardiologist Latha Palaniappan. Cholesterol levels have also decreased, suggesting efforts to increase awareness of the risks of high cholesterol are having some effect. "The disparities in risk and outcomes call for tailored interventions among high-risk populations," urges Kazi. "Simply discovering breakthrough therapies isn't going to be enough – we have to ensure that these therapies are accessible and affordable to people who need them most." The National Institute for Health recommends getting regular screening tests for heart disease from age 20, especially if you have a family history of heart conditions. Such screening includes tests for blood pressure, cholesterol, and glucose levels. "Although we have made a lot of progress against cardiovascular disease in the past few decades, there is a lot more work that remains to be done," says Kazi. You can read the full report in Circulation. Surprising Link Between Menthol And Alzheimer's Discovered in Mice AI Can Predict Breast Cancer Risk Years Before Diagnosis, Study Finds Microbes in Your Mouth May Impact Your Risk of Cognitive Decline
Associated Press
27-01-2025
- Health
- Associated Press
Heart disease remains leading cause of death as key health risk factors continue to rise
Highlights: According to the American Heart Association's 2025 Heart Disease and Stroke Statistics Update, heart disease remains the leading cause of death in the U.S. While medical advances have helped more people live longer with cardiovascular diseases, many of the risk factors which lead to these diseases, including high blood pressure and obesity, continue to grow at alarming rates. Cardiovascular diseases, including heart disease and stroke, claim more lives in the U.S. than all forms of cancer and accidental deaths – the #2 and #3 causes of death – combined. Embargoed until 4 a.m. CT / 5 a.m. ET Monday, Jan. 27, 2025 ( NewMediaWire) - January 27, 2025 - DALLAS — Heart disease kills more people than any other cause as many of the risks factors that contribute to it remain on the rise, according the data reported in the 2025 Heart Disease and Stroke Statistics: A Report of U.S. and Global Data From the American Heart Association. The annual update published today in Circulation, the peer-reviewed, flagship journal of the American Heart Association, the leading global voluntary health organization devoted to changing the future of health care for a world of healthier lives for all. 'Did you know that in the U.S., someone dies of cardiovascular disease every 34 seconds? Nearly 2,500 people in the U.S. die from cardiovascular disease every day. Those are alarming statistics to me – and they should be alarming for all of us, because it's likely many among those whom we lose will be our friends and loved ones,' said Keith Churchwell, M.D., FAHA, the volunteer president of the American Heart Association. 'Too many people are dying from heart disease and from stroke which remains the 5th leading cause of death. Together, they kill more people than all cancers and accidental deaths - the #2 and #3 causes of death – combined.' According to the Association's 2025 statistical report, in 2022 (the most recent year for which final data is available), the overall number of cardiovascular disease (CVD) related deaths in the U.S. was 941,652, an increase of more than 10,000 from the 931,578 CVD deaths in 2021. The age-adjusted death rate attributable to CVD was 224.3 per 100 000 people, a slight decrease from 233.3 per 100,000 reported in 2021. The report indicates the overall number of cardiovascular-related deaths appears to be leveling out after a major uptick during the COVID pandemic. In fact, the age-adjusted death rates dropped for all but one of the ten leading causes of death. The kidney disease age-adjusted death rates increased 1.5%. ' Kidney disease has actually been on the rise over the past decade. In our report, we noted a significant increase in the prevalence of chronic kidney disease among Medicare beneficiaries from 9.2% in 2011 to 14.2% in 2021. Additionally, the global prevalence of kidney disease has increased more than 27% in relative terms since 2010,' said American Heart Association volunteer and chair of the Association's statistical update writing committee Seth S. Martin, M.D., M.H.S., FAHA, a professor of medicine and cardiologist at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine in Baltimore, Maryland. 'The reason this is important is that, first, cardiovascular disease is a major contributor to kidney disease. Second, the risk factors of these diseases are closely interrelated. These include high blood pressure, obesity and diabetes – all health conditions that are rising substantially across the U.S. and the world.' According to the Association's 2025 Statistics Update: Nearly 47% of U.S. adults have high blood pressure. More than 72% of U.S. adults have unhealthy weight (currently defined as body mass index ≥25, with nearly 42% having obesity (currently defined as body mass index ≥30). More than half of U.S. adults (57%) have type 2 diabetes or prediabetes. In a 2023 presidential advisory and scientific statement, the American Heart Association recognized cardiovascular-kidney-metabolic (CKM) syndrome as a health disorder due to the risk factor connections among heart disease, kidney disease, diabetes and obesity leading to poor health outcomes. In the editorial accompanying the 2025 Statistics Update, American Heart Association volunteer Dhruv S. Kazi, M.D., M.S., FAHA, who is head of health economics and associate director of the Richard A. and Susan F. Smith Center for Outcomes Research in Cardiology at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and associate professor at Harvard Medical School in Boston, noted the prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors is projected to worsen over the coming decades. 'Although we have made a lot of progress against cardiovascular disease in the past few decades, there is a lot more work that remains to be done. If recent trends continue, hypertension and obesity will each affect more than 180 million U.S. adults by 2050, whereas the prevalence of diabetes will climb to more than 80 million. And over the same time period, we expect to see a 300% increase health care costs related to cardiovascular disease,' said Kazi, who was the volunteer vice-chair of the advisory writing group of the American Heart Association's 2024 presidential advisories: Forecasting the Burden of Cardiovascular Disease and Stroke in the United States Through 2050: Prevalence of Risk Factors and Disease and Forecasting the Economic Burden of Cardiovascular Disease and Stroke in the United States through 2050. 'And it is important to acknowledge that, although cardiovascular disease affects us all, it doesn't affect us all equally. For instance, there is wide variation in the prevalence of obesity, diabetes and high blood pressure by sex and race/ethnicity.' Prevalence rates for major risk factors vary widely across specific sex and race/ethnicity populations. Below are comparisons of the highest rates to the lowest rates of key risk factors among all of the population groups. Rates for each individual population group can be found in the report: For overall prevalence of obesity, Black women had the highest rate of obesity at 57.9%, compared to the lowest rate of 14.5% which was among Asian women. For overall prevalence of diabetes, Hispanic men had the highest rate of diabetes at 14.5% compared to the lowest rate of 7.7% which was among white women. For the overall prevalence of high blood pressure, Black women had the highest rate of high blood pressure at 58.4% compared to the lowest rate of 35.3% which was among Hispanic women. The prevalence of these risk factors – obesity in particular – is also growing among young people and globally: As many as 40% of U.S. children have an unhealthy weight (currently defined as body mass index ≥85th percentile), with 20% having obesity (currently defined as ≥95th percentile). Nearly 60% of adults globally have an unhealthy weight. 'In the update, we noted calculations that found excess weight contributes to as many as 1,300 additional deaths per day in the U.S., nearly 500,000 per year. It lowers life expectancy by as much as 2.4 years compared to a healthy weight,' said American Heart Association volunteer and vice-chair of the Association's statistical update writing committee Latha P. Palaniappan, M.D., M.S., FAHA, a professor of cardiovascular medicine at Stanford University in Palo Alto, California. 'The impact on lives lost is twice as high for women, and higher for Black adults than for white adults. It's alarming to note that excess weight now costs us even more lives than smoking – as smoking rates have actually fallen in recent years. Being overweight is the new smoking when it comes to health threats.' Tobacco use has long been considered one of the leading preventable causes of death in the U.S. and worldwide. However, smoking rates have been on a steady decline among both adults and youth: Since the U.S. Surgeon General's first report on the health dangers of smoking, age-adjusted prevalence of smoking among adults has declined, from 51% of men smoking in 1965 to 15.6% in 2018 and from 34% of women in 1965 to 12.0% in 2018. Current cigarette use among all U.S. adults is 11.5%. About 28% of high school students reported ever using any tobacco product in 2023, compared to about 34% in 2022. In 2023, 12.6% of high school students reported current use of any tobacco product, compared to 16.5% in 2022. E-cigarette use has also seen a recent downward trend among youth: 10% of high school students reported current use of e-cigarettes in 2023, compared to 14.1% in 2022. 'Another positive trend over the years has been a reduction in the rates of high cholesterol. That's likely thanks, in part, to increased awareness about the dietary and lifestyle factors that impact cholesterol levels, along with the availability of medications and better clinical control,' Churchwell said. 'Recent clinical research has identified a number of new medication therapies to address the growing burden of obesity, as well, and we look forward to learning more about those advances as the body of science builds.' However, Kazi and Churchwell both warn that the solution to saving lives will need to be much broader than medical intervention. 'The disparities in risk and outcomes call for tailored interventions among high-risk populations,' Kazi said. 'Simply discovering breakthrough therapies isn't going to be enough – we have to ensure that these therapies are accessible and affordable to people who need them most.' 'Heart disease was once considered a death sentence, but thanks to the many advances in clinical diagnosis and treatment, people are able to live longer, healthier lives even after a cardiovascular event,' said Churchwell, who is an associate clinical Professor of Medicine at Yale School of Medicine in New Haven, Connecticut and adjunct Associate Professor of Medicine at the Vanderbilt School of Medicine, Nashville, Tennessee. 'Certainly, any medical or clinical therapy that can treat the risk factors that contribute to CVD are essential. More importantly, I would say that we need to stop these risk factors in their tracks, keep people healthy throughout their lifespan. That will only be possible with a strong emphasis on early prevention and equitable health access for all.' This statistics update was prepared by a volunteer writing group on behalf of the American Heart Association Council on Epidemiology and Prevention Statistics Committee and Stroke Statistics Committee. Additional author names and authors' disclosures are listed in the manuscript. Additional Resources: ### The Association receives funding primarily from individuals. Foundations and corporations (including pharmaceutical, device manufacturers and other companies) also make donations and fund specific Association programs and events. The Association has strict policies to prevent these relationships from influencing the science content. Revenues from pharmaceutical and biotech companies, device manufacturers and health insurance providers, and the Association's overall financial information are available here. About the American Heart Association The American Heart Association is a relentless force for a world of longer, healthier lives. Dedicated to ensuring equitable health in all communities, the organization has been a leading source of health information for more than one hundred years. Supported by more than 35 million volunteers globally, we fund groundbreaking research, advocate for the public's health, and provide critical resources to save and improve lives affected by cardiovascular disease and stroke. By driving breakthroughs and implementing proven solutions in science, policy, and care, we work tirelessly to advance health and transform lives every day. Connect with us on Facebook, X or by calling 1-800-AHA-USA1.
