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Heart disease remains the leading cause of death in the U.S., fueled by rising hypertension, obesity, and other risk factors, according to the American Heart Association (AHA). New statistics reveal that one person dies daily from cardiovascular disease, while stroke claims one every 3 minutes. AHA President Keith Churchwell emphasized the importance of addressing these issues for loved ones.
Kidney disease prevalence has surged, with 14.2% of Medicare beneficiaries affected in 2021—a nearly 5.6% increase over a decade. Globally, kidney disease has risen by more than 27%. The interconnection between cardiovascular and kidney disease is critical to understanding their shared risk factors.
The AHA identified “cardiovascular-kidney-metabolic syndrome” as a health disorder, highlighting the overlap between heart disease, kidney disease, type 2 diabetes, and obesity. The report underscores that excess weight contributes significantly to mortality and life expectancy loss, with a notable impact on Black and women populations.
In 2023, nearly 47% of adults in the U.S. had hypertension, 57% were prediabetic or diabetic, and 72% were overweight. Obesity now claims more lives than smoking, with an additional 1300 deaths daily due to excess weight. The societal impact is twice as significant for Black individuals.
Experts stress that preventing and treating obesity has never been more urgent, given the transformation in weight management therapies and nutrition focus. Addressing these health crises is essential to improving public health outcomes.
Source: https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/heart-disease-still-top-cause-death-2025a100022d