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A recent study by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine has identified a concerning increase in post-Covid deaths attributed to cardiovascular disease (CVD). The study, analyzing information from over 10 million death certificates of US adults aged 35 years and older, highlights the impact of health care disruptions during the pandemic and complications related to Covid-19.
The research revealed a significant uptick in the CVD death rate that began in 2020 and has persisted, reversing the positive trend observed in the decade before the pandemic. Investigators expressed concerns about the worsening chronic disease outcomes during the initial two years of the Covid-19 pandemic, particularly in the context of heart disease and stroke, which had previously shown improvement.
Rebecca C. Woodruff from the Division for Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention at CDC stated, “We wanted to understand whether the concerning trends were temporary or whether they continued through 2022.” The study found that the death rates from cardiovascular disease increased by 9.3% from 2020 through 2022, in contrast to the 8.9% decline observed from 2010 to 2019.
The research indicates a setback in population health, evident after the stabilization of the public health emergency. The disruptions caused by the pandemic, including limited access to healthcare, delayed detection and treatment of heart disease. Additionally, disturbances in daily life, such as challenges in managing blood pressure, maintaining a healthy lifestyle, and addressing risk factors for heart disease, contributed to the concerning trend.
The study emphasizes the need to prioritize prevention and management of cardiovascular disease, with further research aimed at understanding the drivers of the increased mortality rates. The disruptions caused by the pandemic underscore the importance of implementing clinical and public health strategies to prevent, detect, and treat cardiovascular disease effectively.
