Heart disease remains the leading cause of death in the United States, according to a new report from the American Heart Association. In 2022, over 941,600 Americans died from cardiovascular disease, a 10,000-person increase from the previous year.
The report also found that one person dies every 34 seconds from cardiovascular disease, or nearly 2,500 people per day. Cardiovascular disease is responsible for more deaths in the US than all forms of cancer and accidents combined.
Racial disparities in cardiovascular disease were also highlighted, with Black Americans having the highest prevalence of the condition. The report found that 59% of non-Hispanic Black females and 58.9% of non-Hispanic Black males had some form of cardiovascular disease between 2017 and 2020.
Other risk factors for heart disease, such as high blood pressure and obesity, continue to rise. The AHA report found that nearly half of American adults have high blood pressure, while more than half are diagnosed with type 2 diabetes or prediabetes.
Despite the grim statistics, experts say there is good news: 80% of cardiovascular disease is preventable through lifestyle changes such as a heart-healthy diet, regular exercise, quitting smoking, managing stress, and getting adequate sleep.
Source: https://abcnews.go.com/Health/heart-disease-remains-leading-cause-death-us-new/story?id=118136223