Cardiovascular Disease Deaths Increase in Rural Areas, Decline in Urban Areas

Cardiovascular Disease Deaths Increase in Rural Areas, Decline in Urban Areas

Key Takeaways (TLDR)

• Rural-urban disparities in cardiovascular mortality widened from 2010-2022, especially among younger adults. COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated disparities.

• Cardiovascular death rates increased by 21% for adults ages 25-64 in rural areas, but declined by 9% for adults ages 65+ in urban areas.

• There is an urgent need to implement public health initiatives focused on reducing cardiovascular risk among working-age rural adults.

• Study found a concerning rise in cardiovascular mortality among younger adults concentrated in rural areas, more pronounced after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Why it Matters

The widening rural-urban disparities in cardiovascular mortality, particularly among younger adults, underscore the urgent need for public health initiatives and policy interventions to reduce cardiovascular risk factors and improve access to healthcare in rural communities.

Summary

An analysis of death certificate data for more than 11 million U.S. adults from 2010 to 2022 found that cardiovascular disease death rates increased by about 21% for adults ages 25-64 living in rural areas. However, the rates declined by about 9% for adults ages 65 or older living in urban areas. The findings, to be presented at the American Heart Association’s Scientific Sessions 2024 and simultaneously published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, highlight widening rural-urban disparities in cardiovascular mortality, especially among younger adults, with the disparities becoming more pronounced after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.

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