Every racial or ethnic group has specific health concerns. Differences in the health of groups can result from:

• Genetics
• Environmental factors
• Access to care
• Cultural factors

On this page, you'll find health issues that affect Asian Americans.

Clinical trials are research studies involving human volunteers to evaluate medical products like medications, vaccines, or devices for safety and effectiveness. These studies may also show which medical products or therapies work best for people with certain illnesses or for certain groups of people. Ensuring people from diverse backgrounds join clinical trials is key to advancing health equity.

5 things you should know about clinical trials

1. Clinical trials are research studies conducted with people—they are designed to answer specific research questions about medical products or therapies.
2. Participation is always voluntary—you can leave a study whenever you want.
3. Clinical trials often need healthy volunteers to help answer research questions.
4. Your safety is a priority. Researchers must follow detailed protocols and the FDA’s safety requirements to make each trial as safe as possible.
5. The study will be explained to you in an informed consent process before you agree to join.

The importance of diverse participation in clinical trials

Participants in clinical trials should represent the patients that will use the medical products. This is often not the case—people from racial and ethnic minority and other diverse groups are underrepresented in clinical research. This is a concern because people of different ages, races, and ethnicities may react differently to medical products. To achieve health equity so all can benefit from clinical trials, we are committed to taking steps to change this.

Joining a clinical trial might be a good choice for you if:

• You and your health care provider believe a clinical trial may provide another option when standard treatments have failed.
• You want to help test new medical products or therapies in the diverse patients likely to use them.
• You want to help researchers find better ways to fight diseases.

Nationwide, more than 1 in 5 people who have diabetes don’t know they have it. But for Asian American people, that number is higher—around 1 in 3. Why aren’t more getting diagnosed?

Looks Can Be Deceiving

Body weight plays a big part. Being overweight is a risk factor for developing type 2 diabetes. But you may be like most Asian American people who aren’t considered overweight. So you may not think you’re at risk (and your doctor may not think you are either!).

But as a person of Asian descent, you may have less muscle and more fat than other groups and can develop diabetes at a younger age and lower body weight. That extra body fat tends to be in your belly (visceral fat). Unlike fat stored just under your skin (subcutaneous fat), visceral fat is out of sight, wrapped around organs deep in your body. Others can’t tell how much visceral fat you have just by looking at you.

Visceral fat drives certain processes in the body that can increase the risk for heart disease, stroke, and other serious health conditions. Everybody has some visceral fat, but having too much is a major risk factor for developing type 2 diabetes.

How Much is Too Much?

Most health professionals rely on BMI, or body mass index, to assess whether their patients are in the overweight range (BMI of 25 or greater), which suggests they have excess visceral fat. All adults who are overweight should talk to their doctor about getting tested for type 2 diabetes. Like high blood pressure, diabetes often starts without symptoms, so a blood sugar test is needed to know for sure if someone has the condition.

But the standard BMI classification doesn’t catch Asian American people who are in the healthy weight range (18.5 to 24.9) but may have too much visceral fat and already be at risk for type 2 diabetes.

In addition to BMI, you can check your waist circumference (waist size). Waist size takes visceral fat into account and helps predict your risk of health problems from being overweight. Women whose waist measures more than 35 inches and men whose waist measures more than 40 inches are at higher risk.

To measure your waist accurately, stand and place a tape measure around your middle, just above your hipbones. Measure your waist just after you breathe out.

Talk to your doctor about getting tested for high blood sugar if:

• Your BMI is 23 or greater, or
• Your waist circumference is over 35 inches (for women) or 40 inches (for men).

Type 2 diabetes can be prevented or delayed, but only if you know you’re at risk and can take action!

Health disparities are differences in the incidence, prevalence, and mortality of a disease and the related adverse health conditions that exist among specific population groups. These groups may be characterized by gender, age, race or ethnicity, education, income, social class, disability, geographic location, or sexual orientation. These health disparities are one reason why HIV, viral hepatitis, STDs, and TB take a greater toll in one population group over another. Find information about how these diseases affect Asian populations.

HIV

In 2018, Asians made up 6% of the American population and accounted for 2% of new HIV diagnoses. Asian American rates of HIV are very low compared to other racial/ethnic groups. Of the 37,968 new HIV diagnoses in the United States and dependent areas in 2018, 2% were among Asians.

Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STD)

Chlamydia

In 2018, the rate of reported chlamydia cases among Asians was 132.1 cases per 100,000 population. The overall rate of reported chlamydia cases among Whites was 1.6 times the rate among Asians.

Gonorrhea

In 2018, the rate of reported gonorrhea cases among Asians (35.1 cases per 100,000 population) was 0.5 times the rate among Whites. This difference was larger for Asian females (0.3 times the rate among White females) than for Asian males (0.7 times the rate among White males). In 2018, gonorrhea rates among Asians were lower than rates among Whites in all four regions of the United States.

Primary and Secondary Syphilis

In 2018, the rate of reported P&S syphilis cases among Asians was 0.8 times the rate among Whites (4.6 versus 6.0 cases per 100,000 population, respectively). This disparity was greater for Asian females (0.3 times the rate among White females) than for Asian males (0.9 times the rate among White males). Similar disparities were seen in all regions of the United States.

Congenital Syphilis

From 2014 to 2018, the rate of reported congenital syphilis increased 31.4% among Asian/Pacific Islanders (7.0 to 9.2 cases per 100,000 live births). In 2018, the rate of congenital syphilis for Asian/Pacific Islanders was 0.7 times the rate for Whites (9.2 cases versus 13.5 cases per 100, 000 live births, respectively).

Viral Hepatitis

In 2018, there were 1,649 death certificates among US residents that listed hepatitis B as the underlying or a contributing cause of death. Asians/Pacific Islanders have historically experienced the highest hepatitis B-related mortality rates, and the age-adjusted death rate for this group increased from 2015 to 2017. Of the 1,649 hepatitis B-related death in 2018, 760 (46.1%) were to Asians/Pacific Islanders, resulting in the highest death rate among race/ethnic groups at 2.1 deaths per 100,000 population.

Tuberculosis (TB)

In 2018, 87% of all reported TB cases occurred in racial and ethnic minorities. TB disease was reported in 3,190 Asians in the United States, accounting for 35% of all people reported with TB disease nationally. The rate of TB disease in Asians was 17 cases per 100,000, which is 31 times higher than the rate of TB disease in non-Hispanic whites (0.5 cases per 100,000 population). Asians born outside the United States represented 48% of the TB cases among non-U.S.-born persons in 2018. Overall, 9,025 TB cases were reported to CDC from the 50 states and the District of Columbia in 2018.

Heart disease refers to several conditions that affect the heart. In the United States, it affects more than 1 in 10 adults (30 million) and is the leading cause of death for people of most racial and ethnic groups (responsible for about 1 in 4 deaths).

Heart disease may not be diagnosed until a person experiences signs or symptoms of a heart attack, heart failure, or an arrhythmia. These symptoms may include:

• Heart attack: Chest pain or discomfort, upper back or neck pain, indigestion, heartburn, nausea or vomiting, extreme fatigue, upper body discomfort, dizziness, and shortness of breath
• Heart failure: Shortness of breath, fatigue, or swelling of the feet, ankles, legs, abdomen, or neck veins
• Arrhythmia: Fluttering feelings in the chest (palpitations)

Who is at risk?

High blood pressure, high cholesterol, and smoking are key risk factors for heart disease. About half of all adults in the United States have at least one of these risk factors. Other medical conditions and health behaviors that put you at higher risk are:

• Diabetes
• Alcohol use
• Unhealthy diet
• Physical inactivity
• Overweight and obesity

Your risk for heart disease increases as you age and if you have a history of heart disease in your family.

How is heart disease treated?

Your health care provider may prescribe one or more FDA-approved medications to treat your heart disease or its risk factors. Some types of heart disease are also treated with medical devices such as pacemakers (implanted in the body to regulate the heart rate) or stents (metal tubes that are inserted in an artery to improve blood flow). Your health care provider will work with you to determine which treatment is the best option for your condition.

Participating in a cardiac rehabilitation (rehab) program after having a heart attack, heart failure, or some type of heart surgery is important for recovery. Supervised by a team of health care professionals, this program may include:

• Physical activity
• Counseling to find ways to relieve stress and improve your mental health
• Education about healthy living (such as healthy eating), taking medication as prescribed, and ways to help you quit smoking

Overview

What is Hepatitis B?
Hepatitis B is a liver infection. It is caused by the hepatitis B virus. For some people who get hepatitis B, the virus stays in the body, causing a lifelong illness. Hepatitis B can cause serious health problems over time. These problems can include liver cancer and liver failure.

How common is Hepatitis B among Asian Americans?
In the United States, hepatitis B is very common among Asian Americans. Even though Asian Americans make up 6% of the US population, they account for up to 60% of Americans living with hepatitis B.

Why do Asian Americans have such high rates of hepatitis B?
Hepatitis B is very common in many parts of the world, including Asia. An estimated 300 million people are living with hepatitis B worldwide and approximately 2 million people in the United States have chronic hepatitis B. Because hepatitis B is so common, it is easy for many people born in Asia to come into contact with the hepatitis B virus. Although anyone can get hepatitis B, some people are at greater risk, such as those who live with a person who has hepatitis B or are born to infected mothers.

Transmission

How is hepatitis B spread?
Hepatitis B is spread when blood or other body fluid infected with the hepatitis B virus enters the body of a person who is not infected. This can happen through multiple ways, including getting Hepatitis B from an infected mother at birth or from a family member as a young child. Many Asian Americans living with Hepatitis B became infected as infants or young children.

Can a person spread hepatitis B and not know it?
Yes. Many people with hepatitis B infection do not know they are infected since they do not feel or look sick. However, they still can spread the virus to others and are at risk of serious health problems themselves.

What are ways hepatitis B is not spread?
Hepatitis B is not spread through sharing meals, bowls or utensils with someone who has the virus. It is also not spread by breastfeeding, hugging, kissing, holding hands, coughing, or sneezing.

Symptoms

What are the symptoms of hepatitis B?
Hepatitis B does not always cause symptoms. Many people can live with hepatitis B for decades without feeling sick. If and when symptoms do occur, they can include fever, feeling tired, not wanting to eat, stomach pain, upset stomach, throwing up, dark urine, light-colored stool, joint pain, and yellow skin or eyes.

How serious is hepatitis B?
When hepatitis B is a lifelong infection, it can become very serious with long-term health problems. About 1 in 4 people with chronic hepatitis B develop serious liver conditions including liver damage, liver failure, or even liver cancer. Hepatitis B is the leading cause of liver cancer among Asian Americans.

Testing

How do people know if they have hepatitis B?
A hepatitis B test is the only way for people to know if they are infected. Nearly 2 out of 3 people with hepatitis B do not know they have it.

Who should get tested for hepatitis B?

• People born in Asia
• People whose parents were born in most parts of Asia. People who live with someone who has hepatitis B

Why should people get tested for hepatitis B if they don’t feel sick?
Even though most people with hepatitis B don’t feel sick, liver damage can still occur. Getting tested helps people access medical treatments that can save their lives. Lifesaving treatments are available to slow down or prevent liver damage, so getting tested helps people access needed medical treatment.

How does getting tested help protect family members?
People who get tested for hepatitis B and find out that they are infected can help protect their family members by encouraging them to get tested for hepatitis B. People who have never been infected with hepatitis B can get a safe, effective vaccine to protect them from getting the infected. The vaccine is currently recommended for all children and people at risk, including family members of people with hepatitis B. However, adults should get tested first to determine if they have ever had hepatitis B and if they will benefit from getting the vaccine.

Treatment

How is hepatitis B treated?
People with hepatitis B should be monitored regularly by a doctor experienced in caring for people with hepatitis B. This can include some internists or family medicine practitioners, as well as specialists such as infectious disease physicians, gastroenterologists, or hepatologists (liver specialists). Doctors can monitor for signs of liver disease and prescribe needed treatments.

Several medications are available for hepatitis B treatment. However, not every person with chronic hepatitis B needs to be on medication, and the drugs may cause side effects in some patients.

What else can people with hepatitis B do to take care of their liver?
People with hepatitis B should avoid alcohol because it can cause additional liver damage. They also should check with a health professional before taking any prescription pills, supplements, or over-the-counter medications, as these can potentially damage the liver.

Immunization happens when a person becomes protected against a disease through vaccination. Getting vaccinated is one of the safest and most effective ways of preventing infectious diseases.

What is immunization?

When disease-causing viruses or bacteria (germs) invade the body, our immune systems are activated to attack them. Vaccines work by mimicking these germs so that if you are exposed to the real germ, your immune system is prepared to respond quickly.

Vaccines contain dead and weakened forms of germs or small pieces of germs. Others contain genetic instructions for immune cells to identify germs. Since vaccines do not contain germs in disease-causing forms, they will not give you the disease they are designed to prevent.

Most vaccines are given as an injection (shot). Side effects are usually mild, such as redness or soreness where the shot was given or a low-grade fever.

Why is immunization important?

Getting vaccinated is one of the most effective ways of preventing infectious diseases, disabilities, and deaths. In the United States, routine childhood vaccines prevent many diseases, and immunization has reduced the occurrence of most vaccine-preventable diseases by over 95%.

Adults need vaccines too, even if you got all your childhood shots. The protection for some shots can wear off over time, and as you get older you may be at risk for diseases like shingles. All adults should get a yearly flu shot and other vaccines based on age, job, lifestyle, travel, or health conditions.

Getting vaccinated also helps decrease the spread of diseases to other people. When enough people are vaccinated against a disease, it is more difficult for that disease to spread and cause an outbreak. People with serious allergies or weakened immune systems who can’t get vaccinated will also gain some protection from getting sick (known as community or herd immunity).

Are vaccines safe?

Vaccines are one of the safest ways to protect against many infections. Every vaccine is safety tested before it’s approved by the FDA and recommended for use by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Vaccine manufacturers test each vaccine lot for identity, purity, strength, and sterility before they are released for use. The FDA and the CDC also monitor the safety of vaccines in infants, children, and adults after they come to market.

In the event of a public health emergency, the FDA may issue an Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) to facilitate the availability and the use of a vaccine. An EUA requires an FDA review of data on the quality and consistency of the vaccine product and a review of data collected from studies with people who volunteer to take the vaccine.

Lupus is an autoimmune disease that triggers inflammation in different tissues of the body. The severity of lupus can range from mild to life threatening. According to studies supported by CDC, Hispanic women and Asian women are more likely to be affected by the disease compared with White women.

Signs and Symptoms of Lupus

Lupus can affect people of all ages. However, women of childbearing age — 15 to 44 —are at greatest risk of developing the disease. Men are at lower risk.

People with lupus can have many different symptoms. Some people with the disease may have fatigue, pain or swelling in joints, skin rashes, and fevers. Additional symptoms can include sun sensitivity, mouth ulcers, arthritis, lung problems, heart problems, kidney problems, seizures, psychosis, and blood cell and immunological problems.

People with the disease may have a period of lupus symptoms every so often (called flares), sometimes even years apart, that go away at other times (called remission). They may have these flares often throughout their life.

Estimating Who Has Lupus

To find out how common lupus is and how often it develops in different racial and ethnic groups, CDC supported five population-based lupus patient registries, which collected information on people who have been diagnosed with the disease. Researchers in Georgia, Michigan, and the Indian Health Service have published results on White, Black, and American Indian/Alaska Native people.

Researchers in New York City and San Francisco were funded later to estimate how many Hispanic and Asian women and men have lupus.

These studies found that non-Hispanic Asian women and Hispanic women (of any race) are more likely to be affected by lupus, compared with non-Hispanic White women.

Data from these registries also confirmed an increase in lupus diagnoses among Black women, as demonstrated through previous lupus studies.

The New York City and San Francisco studies also show that lupus-related kidney disease (lupus nephritis) — which can be fatal — appears to be more common among non-Hispanic Asian people and Hispanic people (of any race) compared with non-Hispanic White people.

These are the first population-based registries in the United States with enough Hispanic and Asian people to measure the number of people with diagnosed lupus.

Mental health matters! Mental health includes our emotional, psychological, and social well-being. It affects how we think, feel, act, handle stress, relate to others, and make choices. Mental health is just as important as physical health at all stages of life. Mental health issues are common – about 1 in 5 American adults experiences a mental illness each year. Mental health issues are treatable and often preventable. However, people in some racial and ethnic minority groups face obstacles to maintaining positive mental health.

Obstacles to Mental Health for Racial and Ethnic Minority Groups

The mental health of some racial and ethnic minority groups has worsened since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic relative to that of non-Hispanic white people.

The COVID-19 pandemic has been a challenge for everyone, and racial and ethnic minority groups have been placed at higher risk for COVID-19 infection, COVID-19 severe illness or death, and pandemic-related stressors. These stressors, such as unemployment, loss of a loved one, and COVID-19 stigma, can cause emotional distress and may lead to new or worsening mental health issues. Mental health issues may increase when people face additional stressors, on top of those related to COVID-19, and lack access to the resources and support needed to navigate these challenges.

Mental health care is important for mental wellbeing, yet many people from racial and ethnic minority groups face obstacles in accessing needed care. These obstacles may include lack of or insufficient health insurance, lack of racial and ethnic diversity among mental healthcare providers, lack of culturally competent providers, financial strain, and stigma.

Racism negatively impacts mental health. Racism contributes to unequal access to resources and services, including mental health care. First-hand experiences of racial discrimination, as well as witnessing or hearing about discrimination from others or in the media, can cause or intensify stress and racial trauma.

Working Together for Mental Health Equity

All of society benefits when people from racial and ethnic minority groups have access to mental health care, supportive social conditions, freedom from stressors that can compromise mental health, and access to other resources needed for health. We all have a role to play in promoting health equity.

Individuals can

• Learn about healthy ways to cope with stress and respond to loss. When possible, engage in these practices.
• Get help for mental health issues through free and confidential resources.
• Learn about mental health and take the mental health quiz.
• Share information on mental health, healthy coping skills, and resources with family, friends, neighbors, and other members of your community.
• Encourage open conversations about mental health and use non-stigmatizing language when talking about mental health issues.
• Learn about implicit bias, microaggressions, and other forms of discrimination and make efforts to avoid perpetuating them.

Mental health equity is the state in which everyone has a fair and just opportunity to reach their highest level of mental health and emotional well-being.

Public health organizations can

• Ensure mental health programming incorporates perspectives, ideas, and decision-making from appropriately representative people of racial and ethnic minority groups at all stages of programming – from planning to implementation to evaluation.
• Consider the data on mental health when developing organizational priorities and programs.
• Prioritize action on and/or meaningfully account for the potential influence of social determinants of health when designing mental health programs.
• Measure the impact of racism on mental health and develop best practices for reducing racism and its consequences.
• Ensure mental health educational materials are culturally and linguistically appropriate and follow health equity principles for communication such as using plain language.
• Take intentional steps to increase the reach of mental health information to racial and ethnic minority groups through culturally responsive communication outlets.
• Establish and foster partnerships with other organizations to fill gaps in reach and/or expertise.
• Verify and promote available free and low-cost mental health resources.
• Explore referrals to mental health services to ensure those served can be efficiently connected with needed resources.

Healthcare systems can

• Screen patients for depression and other mental health conditions and refer patients to accessible mental health care services.
• Make mental health educational materials available to all patients during their appointments, via patient portals, and in waiting rooms.
• Make efforts to recruit mental healthcare providers that reflect the race and ethnicity of the populations they serve.
• Provide cultural humility training to mental healthcare providers.
• Ensure mental healthcare services are culturally and linguistically appropriate.

States and communities can

• Expand community-based mental health care that provides culturally responsive mental health services at low or no cost for youth and adults.
• Evaluate policies for their differential impact on social determinants of health, and, when needed, modify these policies or create new policies that ensure equitable access to resources for people from all race and ethnicity groups.
• Evaluate policies for their potential to reinforce mental health stigma and revise or remove stigmatizing policies.
• Encourage community and faith-based leaders to have positive dialogues and discussions around mental health issues to help reduce stigma.
• Make efforts to ensure decision-makers reflect the races and ethnicities of the populations they serve.

CDC is collaborating with partners to improve mental health among racial and ethnic minority groups by

• Developing and sharing culturally responsive resources to promote and strengthen the emotional well-being of populations through How Right Now | Finding What Helps, also available in Spanish
• Gathering data on mental health, access to care, demographics, and more through the Household Pulse Survey, in collaboration with the US Census Bureau
• Analyzing data to better understand mental health disparities during COVID-19
• Recognizing the harm racism has on mental health and overall health, declaring racism a serious threat to the public’s health, and taking actions to address racism
• Implementing the CORE strategy, an agency-wide strategy that aims to integrate health equity into all work at CDC
• Ensuring equity principles guide planning around mental health programming
• Raising awareness of health workers’ mental health issues through the Health Worker Mental Health Initiative
• Identifying policies and practices that connect more children and families to mental health care and seeking to understand the impact of social determinants of health on mental health care – Improving Access to Children’s Mental Health Care
• Developing data systems and tools that appropriately identify, respond to, culturally tailor, and reach historically marginalized and/or racialized populations during crises through Project REFOCUS, in partnership with Howard University, Department of Communication, Culture and Media Studies UCLA Center for the Study of Racism Social Justice and Health Funding, and CDC Foundation

Asian American women may be at risk for developing osteoporosis (porous bones), a disease that can be prevented and treated. Studies show that Asian Americans share many of the risk factors that apply to white women. As an Asian American woman, it is important that you understand what osteoporosis is and what steps you can take to prevent or treat it.

What is osteoporosis?

Osteoporosis is a condition in which the bones become less dense and more likely to fracture (break). If not prevented or if left untreated, bone loss can progress painlessly until a bone breaks, typically in the hip, spine, or wrist. A hip fracture can limit mobility and lead to a loss of independence, and vertebral fractures can result in a loss of height, stooped posture, and chronic pain.

What are the risk factors for osteoporosis?

Several risk factors increase your chances of developing osteoporosis, including:

• A thin, small-boned frame.
• Previous fracture or family history of osteoporotic fracture.
• Estrogen deficiency resulting from early menopause (before age 45), either naturally, from surgical removal of the ovaries, or as a result of prolonged amenorrhea (abnormal absence of menstruation) in younger women.
• Advanced age.
• A diet low in calcium.
• Cigarette smoking.
• Excessive use of alcohol.
• Prolonged use of certain medications.

Are there any special issues for Asian American women regarding bone health?

Studies highlight the risk that Asian American women may face with regard to developing osteoporosis:

• Compared with white women, Asian women have been found to consume less calcium. One reason for this may be that Asian Americans are more prone to lactose intolerance than are other groups. Therefore, they may avoid dairy products, the primary source of calcium in the diet. Calcium is essential for building and maintaining a healthy skeleton.
• Asian women generally have lower hip fracture rates than white women, although the prevalence of vertebral fractures among Asians seems to be as high as that in whites.

How can osteoporosis be prevented?

Building strong bones, especially before the age of 20, can help defend against developing osteoporosis. A healthy lifestyle can be critically important for keeping bones strong. To help prevent osteoporosis:

• Eat a well-balanced diet rich in calcium and vitamin D.
• Exercise regularly, with an emphasis on weight-bearing and resistance activities. Examples of weight-bearing exercises include walking, jogging, and dancing. Resistance exercises – such as lifting weights – can also keep bones strong.
• Don’t smoke, and limit alcohol intake.

Talk to your doctor if you have a family history of osteoporosis or other factors that may put you at increased risk for the disease. Your doctor may suggest that you have your bone density measured through a safe test that can determine your risk for fractures (broken bones) and measure your response to osteoporosis treatment. The most widely recognized bone mineral density test (BMD) is called a dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry, or DXA test. The BMD test is painless, a bit like having an x-ray, but with much less exposure to radiation. It can measure bone density at your hip and spine.

What treatments are available?

Although there is no cure for osteoporosis, several medications are available for the prevention and/or treatment of osteoporosis, including: bisphosphonates; calcitonin; estrogen (hormone) therapy; estrogen agonists/antagonists (also called selective estrogen receptor modulators or SERMs); parathyroid hormone (PTH) analog; RANK ligand (RANKL) inhibitor; and tissue-selective estrogen complex (TSEC).

Data are for the U.S.

Live births

• Number of births: 219,068
• Births per 1,000 women aged 15-44: 50.8

Source: Births: Final Data for 2020 [PDF – 1 MB]

Health status

• Percent of adults aged 18 and over in fair or poor health: 8.8% (2021)

Source: Interactive Summary Health Statistics for Adults: National Health Interview Survey, 2019-2021

• Percent of children under age 18 year in fair or poor health: 1.2% (2021)

Source: Interactive Summary Health Statistics for Children: National Health Interview Survey, 2019-2021

Smoking

• Percent of adults aged 18 and over who currently smoke cigarettes: 5.4% (2021)

Source: Interactive Summary Health Statistics for Adults: National Health Interview Survey, 2019-2021

Obesity

• Percent of men aged 20 and over with obesity: 14.2% (2015-2018)
• Percent of women aged 20 and over with obesity: 16.0% (2015-2018)

Source: Health, United States, 2019, Table 26 [PDF – 9.8 MB]

Hypertension

• Percent of men aged 20 and over with hypertension (measured high blood pressure and/or taking antihypertensive medication): 49.4% (2015-2018)
• Percent of women aged 20 and over with hypertension (measured high blood pressure and/or taking antihypertensive medication): 43.6% (2015-2018)

Source: Health, United States, 2019, Table 22 [PDF – 9.8 MB]

Health insurance coverage

• Percent of adults aged 18–64 without health insurance coverage: 6.0% (2021)

Source: Interactive Summary Health Statistics for Adults: National Health Interview Survey, 2019-2021

• Percent of children under age 18 years without health insurance coverage: 1.5% (2021)

Source: Interactive Summary Health Statistics for Children: National Health Interview Survey, 2019-2021

Mortality

• Number of deaths: 91,175
• Deaths per 100,000 population: 470.8

Source: National Vital Statistics System – Mortality data (2020) via CDC WONDER

Leading causes of death

• Cancer
• Heart disease
• COVID-19

Source: National Vital Statistics System – Mortality data (2020) via CDC WONDER

Infant deaths

• Infant deaths per 1,000 live births: 3.14

Source: Infant Mortality in the United States, 2020: Data From the Period Linked Birth/Infant Death File [PDF – 1 MB]