Abstract
In the next few decades, the progressive “graying” of America will accelerate. People 65+ are expected to grow to be approximately 80 million, or 21 %, of the US population by 2040. The 85+ group is the fastest-growing segment of the population, and it is estimated to increase from 6 million to over 14 million by 2040. This growth will result in a significant increase in the incidence and prevalence of age-associated diseases, including hypertension, coronary heart disease, and heart failure. An appreciation of this demographic change is essential for those involved in the healthcare industry, including providers, health organizations, policy makers as well as patients.
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Acknowledgments
This research was supported by the Claude D. Pepper Older American Independence Center grant (1P30AG28718-01A2).
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Jeanne Wei and Gohar Azhar have no disclosures to report.
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This article does not contain any studies with human or animal subjects performed by any of the authors.
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This article is part of the Topical Collection on Elderly + Heart Disease
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Azhar, G., Wei, J.Y. The Demographics of Aging and Its Impact on the Cardiovascular Health. Curr Cardiovasc Risk Rep 9, 13 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12170-015-0441-x
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12170-015-0441-x