Heart disease remains the leading cause of death in the United States, with cardiovascular disease killing more people than all types of cancer and accidental deaths combined. According to the American Heart Association’s 2025 report on heart disease statistics, 941,652 Americans died from heart disease-related conditions in 2022.
The age-adjusted death rate decreased slightly from last year, but experts warn that despite progress made in reducing smoking and high cholesterol, risk factors such as obesity, diabetes, and hypertension continue to increase. Excess weight is a contributing factor in thousands of deaths per day, with nearly 500,000 annual deaths attributed to being overweight.
The report also highlights racial disparities in heart disease risk factors, with black women having the highest rate of obesity and Hispanic women having the lowest rate. Experts call for interventions to reduce heart disease risk factors, including aggressively treating tobacco use, high cholesterol, obesity, high blood pressure, and diabetes.
According to Dr. Keith Churchwell, volunteer president of the American Heart Association, “It’s alarming to note that excess weight now costs us even more lives than smoking.” The report predicts a 300% increase in cardiovascular-related healthcare costs by 2050 due to rising obesity rates.
The American Heart Association is urging for continued efforts to reduce heart disease risk factors and promote healthy lifestyles. With the latest statistics showing that someone dies of heart disease every 34 seconds in the US, it’s clear that more work needs to be done to combat this top killer.
Source: https://www.foxnews.com/health/disease-kills-more-people-than-all-cancers-accidents-combined