Heart Disease Projected to Affect 60% of Women by 2050

New research shows cardiovascular disease risk factors like high blood pressure, diabetes, and obesity are on the rise, especially among younger women and racial minorities.

Published on Feb. 26, 2026

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According to a new report in Circulation, the threat of heart attacks and strokes is rising for women in the U.S. By 2050, nearly 60% of women are predicted to have high blood pressure, a key risk factor for heart disease, up from about 50% in 2020. The share of women ages 22 to 44 with some form of cardiovascular disease other than high blood pressure is also projected to climb to nearly one-third, compared with less than 1 in 4 today. Conditions like diabetes and obesity that can affect heart health are also expected to increase significantly in the coming decades.

Why it matters

These changes are 'really setting up an entire generation to have cardiovascular disease earlier in life,' says Dr. Karen E. Joynt Maddox, a professor of medicine and public health. The rise in cardiovascular disease will likely present major health care challenges, such as caring for more people after cardiac events. Racial disparities in cardiovascular disease risk factors will also continue to grow, with the largest increases projected among Hispanic and Asian women.

The details

The report found that by 2050, more than 25% of women are expected to have diabetes, up from 15%, and more than 60% could have obesity, up from 44%. Cardiovascular disease includes heart disease, atrial fibrillation, and heart failure, which can raise the risk of stroke, heart attack and sudden cardiac death. Health factors that contribute to cardiovascular disease include diabetes, high blood pressure, physical inactivity, family history, and obesity.

  • In 2020, about 50% of women had high blood pressure.
  • By 2050, nearly 60% of women are predicted to have high blood pressure.
  • The share of women ages 22 to 44 with some form of cardiovascular disease other than high blood pressure is projected to climb to nearly one-third by 2050, compared with less than 1 in 4 today.

The players

Dr. Karen E. Joynt Maddox

A professor of medicine and public health at the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.

Dr. Kardie Tobb

The medical director of the Women's Heart Health & Cardio-Obstetrics Clinic at Cone Health in Greensboro, North Carolina.

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What they’re saying

“These changes are 'really setting up an entire generation to have cardiovascular disease earlier in life.'”

— Dr. Karen E. Joynt Maddox, Professor of medicine and public health (Circulation)

“There's a significant racial ethnic component [in cardiovascular disease risk].”

— Dr. Kardie Tobb, Medical director (AARP)

The takeaway

The projected rise in cardiovascular disease risk factors like high blood pressure, diabetes, and obesity among women, especially younger women and racial minorities, highlights the urgent need for improved prevention, early detection, and treatment strategies to address this growing public health challenge.