New Atherosclerosis Research Reported from Beijing University of Chinese Medicine (Trends and Disparities in Treatment and Control of Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease in US Adults, 1999 to 2018).

A study conducted by Beijing University of Chinese Medicine examined the trends and disparities in the treatment and control of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) in US adults from 1999 to 2018. The study found that while cardiovascular mortality continued to decline during this period, the rate of decrease slowed down. The prevalence of ASCVD fluctuated between 7.3% and 8.9%, with an increasing trend observed in the prevalence of diabetes, obesity, heavy alcohol consumption, and self-reported hypertension among those with ASCVD. Control of risk factors such as blood pressure and glycemia showed a decline after certain years, and disparities in risk factor control and medication use persisted between sexes and different racial and ethnic populations. The study suggests that worsened control of risk factors and persistent socioeconomic disparities may contribute to the deceleration in decreasing cardiovascular mortality trends. [Extracted from the article]