CVD and Stroke Trends
High blood pressure and cholesterol, consumption of alcohol and smoking, diabetes and bad dietary choices can all lead to cardiovascular disease and stroke. Every third adult in the U.S. has one of these conditions or habits. Yet, there was a surprising trend that started in the second half of the last century. The mortality rate associated with cardiovascular diseases and strokes had decreased by about 70% from 1968 to 2010. The trend has flat-lined since then.
Despite such drastic improvements – mostly attributed to pharmacological and technological advances – heart disease still accounts for almost 20% of all deaths among people in the 25-64 age group.
Does exercise help address the problem? It's hard to tell. There is probably not enough historical data to show if exercising in accordance with the recommended official guidelines has any significant effect on the overall rates of prevalence of cardiovascular disease among the US adult population.