61% of U.S. adults will have some type of cardiovascular disease by 2050, report finds

Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death and disability in the United States — and new projections find it may become even more common in the next 30 years.

In a report released Tuesday, the American Heart Association says more than 6 in 10 U.S. adults (61%) will have some type of cardiovascular disease, or CVD, by 2050. This is particularly driven by a projected 184 million people with hypertension, or high blood pressure, which is expected to increase from 51.2% in 2020 to 61% in 2025.

"Clinically, cardiovascular disease is identified as a number of specific conditions, including coronary heart disease (including heart attack), arrhythmias (including atrial fibrillation), valvular disease, congenital heart disease, heart failure, stroke and hypertension," the association defines in its report. "However, high blood pressure is also known as a major risk factor contributing to both heart disease and stroke."