Where the Economy Tanks, Heart Attack Deaths Rise

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Route Fifty on 3/1/2021 by Sameed Khatana

COMMENTARY | The diverging economic fortunes of different parts of the country in the period after the 2008-2009 recession is linked to differing death rates from heart disease and stroke among middle-aged Americans, researchers report.

As the federal government debates the financial stimulus needed to address the economic fallout from the coronavirus pandemic, the last recession offers an important reminder of the long-term health effects of a slow and uneven recovery.

As large parts of the US—particularly rural areas—failed to fully recover economically following the Great Recession, they experienced markedly different health fortunes from areas that experienced a robust recovery.

If the pandemic exacerbates these economic trends, the US may be left with an even greater disparity in the health and well-being of Americans living in different parts of the country.