- Health officials report that deaths related to heart disease, diabetes, and high blood pressure have all increased during the COVID-19 pandemic.
- Experts say a major reason may be that people delayed their regular medical checkups.
- They say now is a good time to schedule physical exams and diagnostic tests.
- They add that focusing on eating habits and daily exercise routines is also a good idea.
As COVID-19 pandemic restrictions are fading in the United States, people are returning to restaurants, movie theaters, and sporting events.
Experts note there is another place in particular people may not have visited in more than a year where they should return as soon as possible.
The doctor’s office.
A recent report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention states that in the past year, deaths from both diabetes and heart disease have increased noticeably.
Specifically, heart disease-linked deaths rose by 32,000 over the previous year, a 3-percent jump, and only the second time in 20 years the rate has gone up.
Diabetes-related deaths increased by 13,000, or 14 percent. Deaths related to high blood pressure also ticked up 12 percent.
“I’m not surprised,” said Dr. Salim Virani, FACC, FAHA, FASPC, chair of the writing committee for the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association 2021 Statistical Update and an associate professor in cardiology and cardiovascular research sections at Baylor College of Medicine in Texas.
“Almost 40 percent of U.S. adults deferred care (in that time),” he told Healthline, adding that 12 percent of people who needed emergency care deferred as well.
In other words, Virani said, “Patients who actually need more care were deferring that care.”
Now, experts agree, is a good time to schedule a medical checkup to see where you are after a year of staying at home.
Source: healthline