Overview
- Cardiovascular deaths fell 2.73% to 915,973 in 2023 from 941,652 in 2022, with an average of one U.S. death every 34 seconds, according to the AHA’s 2026 statistics update.
- Coronary heart disease deaths dropped 5.9% to 349,470 and stroke deaths decreased 1.7% to 162,639, as stroke moved to the No. 4 cause of death.
- Heart disease and stroke together accounted for more than a quarter of all U.S. deaths in 2023, exceeding the combined toll of cancer and accidents.
- Key risk trends worsened or remained high: hypertension prevalence reached 47.3%, childhood obesity rose to 28.1%, blood pressure control declined, cigarette smoking fell, and e‑cigarette use increased.
- Roughly half of U.S. adults have some form of cardiovascular disease; adherence to Life’s Essential 8 is linked to about a 74% lower CVD risk, with researchers estimating large prevention potential as the report introduces a cardiovascular‑kidney‑metabolic framework to integrate care.