Birger M, Kaldjian AS, Roth GA, et al. - Researchers intended to detail US adult cardiovascular spending patterns in 2016, alterations from 1996 to 2016, as well as factors related to changes over time. Relevant information was obtained from the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation's disease expenditure project. A rise in adult cardiovascular spending, from $212 billion in 1996 to $320 billion in 2016, was observed, a period when the US population rose by over 52 million people, and median age rose from 33.2 to 36.9 years. Most of the cardiovascular spending over this period was attributable to public insurance (54%), followed by private insurance (37%), and out-of-pocket spending (9%). In 2016, most spending was attributable to health services for ischemic heart disease ($80 billion) and hypertension ($71 billion). Overall, findings demonstrate an increase in US adult cardiovascular spending by >$100 billion from 1996 to 2016. To counteract future spending rises because of population aging and growth, policies tailored to control service price and intensity and preferentially reimburse higher quality care could be beneficial.