Tejal Somvanshi
Every 34 seconds, someone in America dies from heart disease. That’s 2,500 people every day – more than deaths from cancer and accidents put together.
New numbers from the American Heart Association paint a worrying picture. In 2022, heart disease killed 941,652 Americans. That’s 10,000 more deaths than the year before.
“These numbers should alarm all of us,” says Dr. Keith Churchwell, who leads the American Heart Association. “The people we’re losing are our friends and loved ones.”
Three main health issues are making things worse. Nearly 47% of U.S. adults have high blood pressure. More than 72% of U.S. adults have an unhealthy weight. And over half of U.S. adults (57%) either have diabetes or are close to getting it.
The problem hits some groups harder than others. Black women face the highest rates of obesity and high blood pressure. Hispanic men are most likely to have diabetes.
Extra weight has now become as dangerous as smoking used to be. Dr. Latha Palaniappan from Stanford University explains: “Being overweight now takes away about two and a half years of life. It causes about 1,300 extra deaths every day in America.”
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Looking ahead, doctors are worried. Dr. Dhruv Kazi of Beth Israel Medical Center warns that by 2050, about 180 million Americans could have high blood pressure or obesity. Diabetes will affect more than 80 million people. The cost of treating heart disease could triple by then.
There is some good news. Fewer people smoke now – 11.5% of U.S. adults. Fewer teenagers are using tobacco too. Doctors have also gotten better at treating high cholesterol.
But preventing heart problems is still the best solution. Doctors now suggest checking heart health starting at age 20, long before problems show up. This helps catch issues early when they’re easier to fix.
“We’ve gotten much better at treating heart disease,” says Dr. Churchwell. “But stopping these health problems before they start is even better.”
