WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - A new study found that deaths from heart attacks in the U.S. have dropped by nearly 90 percent over the past 50 years, but that doesn't mean your heart is completely safe.
Researchers looked at government data on heart disease deaths from 1970 to 2022. They found that in 1970, heart attacks caused more than half (54 percent) of all heart-related deaths. By 2022, that number dropped to 29 percent.
However, other heart problems are on the rise. Deaths from irregular heartbeats like atrial fibrillation, which were rare in the 1970s, went up by 450 percent and now make up about 4 percent of heart disease deaths. Deaths from heart failure rose by 146 percent, and deaths due to high blood pressure increased by 106 percent.
The study says changes in lifestyle and health are partly to blame. Over the past five decades, obesity, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, unhealthy diets, and lack of exercise have all become more common.
'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.
The study found that obesity rose from 15 percent in 1970 to 40 percent in 2022. Nearly half of U.S. adults now have type 2 diabetes or prediabetes. High blood pressure cases also increased, from 30 percent in 1978 to almost 50 percent in 2022.
'Heart disease hasn't gone away,' Palaniappan commented. 'The focus now must be on helping people age with strong, healthy hearts by preventing events, and prevention can start as early as childhood.'
The researchers further speculated that the aging Baby Boomer generation, who are now reaching the age when heart disease becomes more likely could be another factor for this significant change.
'We've won major battles against heart attacks, however, the war against heart disease isn't over,' first author Dr. Sara King said.
'The next frontier in heart health must focus on preventing heart attacks, and also on helping people age with healthier hearts and avoiding chronic heart conditions later in life,' she added.
Copyright(c) 2025 RTTNews.com. All Rights Reserved
Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX
© 2025 AFX News
