COVID-19 and delayed care contributed to a surge in deaths from heart disease during the pandemic, according to a new report from the American Heart Association.
Deaths related to cardiovascular disease rose from approximately 870,000 in 2019 to 928,000 in 2020, the first year with COVID-19. This represents the largest one-year increase since 2015 and tops a high of 910,000 recorded in 2003, according to the latest data from the AHA’s Heart Disease and Stroke Statistics — 2023 Update, published Wednesday, Jan. 25.
Notably, the age-adjusted rate of death that year increased for the first time in many years, by 4.6%, investigators found. Until 2020, age-adjusted deaths had steadily declined, although total deaths had been increasing. The new stats show the impact of the pandemic on people of all ages, especially before COVID-19 vaccines became available, the researchers said.
Reasons behind the rise
It is not surprising that substantial increases in the loss of lives from all causes during the pandemic would translate into an overall increase in cardiovascular deaths, they added. In fact, U.S. life expectancy fell by a half-year between 2020 and 2021, according to the National Center for Health Statistics.
COVID-19 has direct and indirect impacts on cardiovascular health, noted Michelle Albert, MD, MPH, AHA volunteer president, regarding the heart disease report. COVID-19 is associated with new blood clotting and inflammation, which can affect the heart. In addition, many people with heart disease and stroke symptoms were reluctant to seek medical care in the early pandemic.
Advanced disease, community impact
“This resulted in people presenting with more advanced stages of cardiovascular conditions and needing more acute or urgent treatment for what may have been manageable chronic conditions,” Albert said. “And, sadly, appears to have cost many their lives.”
In addition, the report showed that people in Asian, Black and Hispanic communities had higher relative mortality rates. These larger increases appear to correlate with the people most often infected with COVID-19, Albert said.
These communities are disproportionately affected by cardiovascular risk factors such as hypertension and obesity, structural racism and socioeconomic factors that limit the ability to access quality healthcare, she noted.
The new report references COVID-19 and its impact on cardiovascular disease. Data points and scientific research findings include risk factors for heart disease and stroke such as obesity, diabetes and high blood pressure.
The report was published in the AHA’s journal, Circulation.
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