American Heart Association warns 60% of US women will have cardiovascular disease by 2050

Heart disease is on track to tighten its grip on American women. New projections from the American Heart Association warn that over the next 25 years, cardiovascular disease will rise sharply, driven largely by a surge in high blood pressure, diabetes, and obesity. By 2050, nearly 60% of women in the U.S. could have high blood pressure, and close to one in three women ages 22 to 44 may already be living with some form of heart disease.

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American Heart Association warns 60% of US women will have cardiovascular disease by 2050

Women’s heart disease risk is projected to surge, with nearly 60% facing high blood pressure by 2050.

Date:
February 27, 2026
Source:
American Heart Association
Summary:
Heart disease is on track to tighten its grip on American women. New projections from the American Heart Association warn that over the next 25 years, cardiovascular disease will rise sharply, driven largely by a surge in high blood pressure, diabetes, and obesity. By 2050, nearly 60% of women in the U.S. could have high blood pressure, and close to one in three women ages 22 to 44 may already be living with some form of heart disease.
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[6 in 10 Women Face Heart Disease by 2050]

*Cardiovascular disease in women is expected to surge over the next 25 years, fueled by rising high blood pressure, diabetes, and obesity. By mid-century, nearly 60% of women could have hypertension, and younger generations are already showing troubling trends. Credit: Shutterstock*

Key Highlights on Women's Heart Health

• Heart disease in women is projected to rise sharply over the next 25 years. By 2050, nearly 60% of women in the United States could have high blood pressure, a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease. That is up from about half of women in 2020, according to a new scientific statement from the American Heart Association.
• Young adult women are increasingly at risk. Almost one in three women ages 22 to 44 are expected to have some form of cardiovascular disease, compared with fewer than one in four today.
• Diabetes and obesity are adding fuel to the problem. Growing rates of these conditions are expected to drive much of the increase in heart disease nationwide.
• Even children are affected. By 2050, nearly 32% of girls ages 2 to 19 may have obesity, raising concerns about earlier and longer lasting heart health challenges.

Cardiovascular Disease in Women Projected to Surge

High blood pressure is rising, and experts say it will dramatically increase heart disease among women in the coming decades. A new scientific statement published in Circulation, the peer reviewed flagship journal of the American Heart Association, projects that nearly 6 in 10 women in the United States will be living with some form of cardiovascular disease (CVD) within the next 25 years.

The report, "Forecasting the Burden of Cardiovascular Disease and Stroke in the United States Through 2050 in Women: A Scientific Statement From the American Heart Association," builds on previous research to estimate how common heart disease and stroke may become among women and how much the growing burden could cost if current trends continue.

"One in every three women will die from cardiovascular disease -- maybe it's your grandmother, or your mother or your daughter," said Karen E. Joynt Maddox, M.D., M.P.H., FAHA, chair of the volunteer writing group. She is a professor of medicine and public health and co director of the Center for Advancing Health Services, Policy & Economics Research at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. "Additionally, more than 62 million women in the U.S. are living with some type of cardiovascular disease and that comes with a price tag of at least $200 billion, annually. Our estimates indicate that if we stay on the current path, these numbers will grow substantially over the next 25 to 30 years."

Heart Disease, Stroke, and Risk Factors on the Rise

Researchers expect increases across every major category of cardiovascular disease in women, including heart disease, heart failure, atrial fibrillation and stroke. Key drivers such as high blood pressure, obesity and diabetes are also projected to climb.

Joynt Maddox emphasized two troubling patterns:

• Some risk factors are increasing among girls ages 2 to 19.
• The projected increases are even greater among women and girls who identify as American Indian/Alaska Native, Black, Hispanic or multiracial.

"Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death for women and remains their #1 health risk overall," said Stacey E. Rosen, M.D., FAHA, volunteer president of the American Heart Association and executive director of the Katz Institute for Women's Health and senior vice president of women's health at Northwell Health in New York City. "While many people may think these conditions like high blood pressure are only occurring in older women, we know this is not the case. We know the factors that contribute to heart disease and stroke begin early in life, even among young women and girls. The impact is even greater among those experiencing adverse social determinants of health such as poverty, low literacy, rural residence and other psychosocial stressors. Identifying the types of trends outlined in this report is critical to making meaningful changes that can reverse this course."

By 2050: High Blood Pressure, Diabetes, and Obesity

If current trends continue, the outlook by 2050 is striking:

• Nearly 60% of women are expected to have high blood pressure, compared with fewer than half today.
• More than 25% are projected to have diabetes, up from about 15%.
• More than 60% are likely to have obesity, compared with about 44% currently.

Among women of color, several increases are expected to be even larger. High blood pressure is projected to rise most among Hispanic women, increasing by more than 15%. Obesity is expected to climb most sharply among Asian women, rising by nearly 26%. Black women are projected to continue having the highest overall rates of many cardiovascular risk factors, with more than 70% expected to have high blood pressure, more than 71% obesity and nearly 28% diabetes.

Rising Cardiovascular Risk in Young Women

Although older women are still projected to carry the greatest burden of cardiovascular disease, younger women are experiencing notable increases. By 2025:

• Nearly one third of women ages 22 to 44 are expected to have some form of cardiovascular disease, compared with fewer than one in four today.
• Diabetes in this age group is projected to more than double from 6% to nearly 16%.
• More than one third are expected to have high blood pressure, an increase of more than 11%.
• More than one in six are projected to have obesity, rising by more than 18%.

Obesity Trends in Girls Raise Early Concerns

The report also highlights future risk among children and teens. By 2050, nearly 32% of girls ages 2 to 19 are projected to have obesity, an increase of more than 12%.

This trend is likely linked to lifestyle factors. More than 60% of girls are expected to have insufficient physical activity, and more than half are projected to have poor diets. Only modest improvements are expected over time. Rates are typically higher among girls of color, especially Black girls, with 40% projected to have obesity by 2050.

"This trend in increased health risks among girls and young women is particularly disturbing, as it indicates they will be facing chronic health issues for most of their lives. Women are already at increased risk for so many of these health conditions due to factors unique to them throughout their lifespan," Rosen said. "Significant health changes during pregnancy, perimenopause and menopause make it particularly important to pay close attention to increases in health risk factors during those times."

Some Encouraging Signs in Heart Health

There is also positive news. High cholesterol levels are expected to decline across nearly all groups of women. Improvements are also anticipated in several behaviors that influence cardiovascular health, including healthier eating, increased physical activity and reduced smoking.

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