Heart disease is the leading cause of death around the world. However, overall heart disease death rates over the past five decades dropped by 66% in American adults age 25 and older, according to a new study. Even better, deaths from heart attacks dropped by nearly 90%.
“Over the past 50 years, our understanding of heart disease, what causes it and how we treat it has evolved considerably,” said lead study author Dr. Sara King, a second-year internal medicine resident at Stanford University School of Medicine in California.
“There have been great strides made in helping people survive initial acute cardiac events that were once considered a death sentence,” King said in a statement.
Unfortunately, that positive news has a flip side. Deaths from all other types of heart disease, including arrhythmia, heart failure and hypertensive heart disease increased by 81% in the United States, according to the study published Wednesday in the Journal of the American Heart Association.
It’s important to put both sets of numbers into perspective, said Dr. Andrew Freeman, director of cardiovascular prevention and wellness at National Jewish Health in Denver.
“These days, the likelihood of dying from a heart attack is relatively low compared to where it’s been, but the likelihood of significant disability from the heart attack is still high,” said Freeman, who was not involved in the study.
“You might develop heart failure — where the heart is unable to pump enough blood to meet the body’s needs and you’re always short of breath,” he said. “Or maybe you’re on a number of medications for blood pressure, fluid retention and cholesterol, or you never feel your best.
“It’s one thing to be alive, it’s another to be alive and well.”
Cardiovascular risks on the rise
The study analyzed government data on deaths from heart disease between 1970 and 2022. Back in 1970, heart attacks were responsible for 54% of all deaths from heart issues. By 2022 that number had dropped to 29%.
Deaths from atrial fibrillation and other arrhythmias, which happen when electrical impulses to the heart go awry and cause an irregular heartbeat or “flutter” in the chest, were rare in the 1970s. By 2022, the number had risen to 450% — about 4% of all heart disease deaths, the study found.
Deaths from heart failure increased 146% over the same time period, while death due to persistent high blood pressure rose by 106%.
Changes in cardiovascular risk factors are contributing to the rise in certain types of heart disease, the study said. Obesity, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, poor food choices and physical inactivity have skyrocketed over the past 50 years. Obesity prevalence rose from 15% in 1970 to 40% in 2022, the study found. Type 2 diabetes and prediabetes now impacts nearly half of all adults in the United States. High blood pressure increased from 30% in 1978 to nearly 50% in 2022.
Another potential contributor — the aging Baby Boomer population now reaching a time when they are most likely to develop heart disease.
“All of these risk factors contribute to an ongoing burden of heart disease, especially as related to heart failure, hypertensive heart disease and arrhythmias,” said senior study author Dr. Latha Palaniappan, professor of cardiovascular medicine and associate dean for research at Stanford University School of Medicine.
“Heart disease hasn’t gone away,” Palaniappan said in a statement. “The focus now must be on helping people age with strong, healthy hearts by preventing events, and prevention can start as early as childhood.”
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