Cardiovascular health is changing, and organizations that engage patients with compassion will be key to driving positive outcomes in the future.
While new risk factors are emerging, advancements in proactive cardiac care mean that physicians and healthcare administrators have growing opportunities to identify cardiovascular disease (CVD) risks and support a patient journey that empathetically aligns with the needs of care communities.
Addressing the changing cardiovascular landscape requires that health system leaders support clinicians in meeting patients where they are. This means fostering an understanding of where population health trends are headed, where providers can play a supportive role, and how technology can enable a path forward in identifying and responding to CVD risks as early as possible. This happens while also integrating personalized approaches that tailor interventions and treatment plans to the unique needs and circumstances of individual patients. Administrators and clinicians can make progress by prioritizing a few key actions.
Exploring the complex nature of modern cardiovascular health
The world has seen significant improvements in cardiovascular disease (CVD) in recent years. While the age-standardized death rate from CVD in the United States was over 500 per 100,000 people in 1950, that number dropped to just over 130 in 2021. Today, 90% of heart disease is believed to be preventable through interventions in cardiovascular health.
But challenges persist as cardiovascular disease is predicted to become more serious and more widespread in the coming years, especially in certain regions—low and middle-income countries (LMIC) account for 80% of cardiovascular deaths globally.
Social determinants of health including low socioeconomic status have emerged as a recognized risk factor. This is because of limited educational and economic opportunities, lack of influence from peers toward healthier lifestyle choices, and increased psychosocial stressors.