Voluntary Benefits
Published by Trustmark Voluntary Benefits on February 24th, 2020
Emotionally, matters of the heart can be unpredictable, but physically, we’ve got a little better handle on things. There is a lot of research surrounding heart health and risks to your heart health. While it can be hard to imagine personally experiencing heart disease (a heart attack or a stroke) cardiovascular disease is actually the number one cause of death in the United States while strokes are the leading cause of long-term disability.1,2 Since February is American Heart Month, let’s dive deeper into the numbers surrounding cardiovascular diseases.
1.5 million heart attacks and strokes occur each year in the United States.3
To give you an idea of just how many people experience a heart attack or stroke, there roughly 1.43 million people living in San Diego, California.4 Imagine the entire population of San Diego (plus an additional 70,000 people) spread throughout the United States – that’s how many Americans have a heart attack or stroke each year.
Stroke costs the U.S. $34 billion every year.2
By contrast, the flu costs the U.S. $10.4 billion each year.5 This may come as a surprise since most of us encounter the flu each year, but fewer of us know someone who has had a stroke. In reality, though, the U.S. spends more than triple the amount of money on strokes than on the flu.
47% of all Americans have at least one of the three key risk factors for heart disease: high blood pressure, high blood cholesterol, and smoking.1
You read that right. Nearly half of the population is at some risk for heart disease and heart-related conditions. To put it into perspective, only 38.4% of households have a dog and even fewer (25.4%) own a cat.6 So it’s far more likely that the person sitting next to you on the bus has high blood pressure, high cholesterol or is a smoker than a cat or dog owner.
Heart disease is responsible for the deaths of 647,000 Americans each year.1
You may be surprised to learn that this number is higher than deaths resulting from cancer. In the United States, 599,108 Americans die each year from cancer. While the numbers are relatively close, cardiovascular disease is statistically more deadly.7
Cardiovascular diseases are serious and, as you can see, have a tremendous impact on millions of Americans. Hopefully, these numbers serve as reminder to keep your heart healthy. You should consult with your doctor about the best ways to protect your heart, but there are plenty of helpful lifestyle tips you can find online to help prevent cardiovascular critical illnesses. We’ve even put together a few of them for you already!
1Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Heart Disease Facts. 2019.
2Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Stroke Facts. 2017.
3Million Hearts. Costs and Consequences. 2016
4World Population Review. San Diego, California Population 2020. 2020.
5CNBC. Getting the flu can wreak havoc on your finances. 2017.
6American Veterinary medical Association. U.S. pet ownership statistics. 2018.
7Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Deaths and Mortality. 2017.
1.5 million heart attacks and strokes occur each year in the United States.3
To give you an idea of just how many people experience a heart attack or stroke, there roughly 1.43 million people living in San Diego, California.4 Imagine the entire population of San Diego (plus an additional 70,000 people) spread throughout the United States – that’s how many Americans have a heart attack or stroke each year.
Stroke costs the U.S. $34 billion every year.2
By contrast, the flu costs the U.S. $10.4 billion each year.5 This may come as a surprise since most of us encounter the flu each year, but fewer of us know someone who has had a stroke. In reality, though, the U.S. spends more than triple the amount of money on strokes than on the flu.
47% of all Americans have at least one of the three key risk factors for heart disease: high blood pressure, high blood cholesterol, and smoking.1
You read that right. Nearly half of the population is at some risk for heart disease and heart-related conditions. To put it into perspective, only 38.4% of households have a dog and even fewer (25.4%) own a cat.6 So it’s far more likely that the person sitting next to you on the bus has high blood pressure, high cholesterol or is a smoker than a cat or dog owner.
Heart disease is responsible for the deaths of 647,000 Americans each year.1
You may be surprised to learn that this number is higher than deaths resulting from cancer. In the United States, 599,108 Americans die each year from cancer. While the numbers are relatively close, cardiovascular disease is statistically more deadly.7
Cardiovascular diseases are serious and, as you can see, have a tremendous impact on millions of Americans. Hopefully, these numbers serve as reminder to keep your heart healthy. You should consult with your doctor about the best ways to protect your heart, but there are plenty of helpful lifestyle tips you can find online to help prevent cardiovascular critical illnesses. We’ve even put together a few of them for you already!
1Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Heart Disease Facts. 2019.
2Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Stroke Facts. 2017.
3Million Hearts. Costs and Consequences. 2016
4World Population Review. San Diego, California Population 2020. 2020.
5CNBC. Getting the flu can wreak havoc on your finances. 2017.
6American Veterinary medical Association. U.S. pet ownership statistics. 2018.
7Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Deaths and Mortality. 2017.
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