Overview

• Overall heart disease mortality among U.S. adults fell 66% between 1970 and 2022, dropping from 761 to 258 deaths per 100,000 people.
• Deaths from acute myocardial infarction declined nearly 90% thanks to advances such as bystander CPR, coronary stents, bypass surgery and statin therapy.
• Age-adjusted mortality for non-ischemic heart diseases—including heart failure, hypertensive heart disease and arrhythmias—increased 81% over the same period.
• Obesity prevalence rose from 15% to 40%, type 2 diabetes and prediabetes now affect nearly half of adults, and hypertension climbed to almost 50%, driving chronic heart condition risks.
• Researchers call for expanded focus on preventing and managing long-term cardiac conditions and for tailored interventions across diverse demographic groups.