(WXYZ) — In today’s Health Alert, some surprising new data about heart disease in America. A long‑term study shows heart attack deaths are plummeting while other cardiovascular issues are surging.
This study was published in the Journal of the American Heart Association. It looked at over 50 years of data on heart disease, and here’s what the researchers found. Since 1970, deaths from heart attacks have dropped dramatically by almost 90%. Plus, overall heart disease deaths fell by 66%. That’s pretty incredible.
But, unfortunately, there’s bad news too. Deaths from other heart problems like hypertensive heart disease, heart failure, and arrhythmias have increased by 81%. I’ll break down these three key conditions.
First, hypertensive heart disease is caused by high blood pressure that isn’t well managed over time. It adds a lot of stress on the heart. Deaths from that rose 106%.
Next, heart failure means your heart isn’t pumping blood well enough. That can leave you feeling tired and short of breath. Deaths from heart failure rose 146% from 1970 to 2022.
Finally, arrhythmias are irregular heartbeats. They can lead to blood clots and strokes, especially a type called atrial fibrillation, or A-fib. Back in the 70s, deaths from arrhythmias were rare. But by 2022, they had skyrocketed by 450%.
Why have heart attack numbers dropped so dramatically, and what’s behind the rise in these other heart conditions?
Over the past five decades, we’ve made huge progress. We’re better at recognizing the signs of heart attacks early and getting faster medical help. Plus, we have treatments that save lives, like clot-busting drugs, stents, and bypass surgery.
However, at the same time, we’ve seen a huge jump in risk factors. Obesity has risen from 15% of adults in the 1970s to 40% today. Diabetes and prediabetes now affect nearly half of U.S. adults. And high blood pressure, or hypertension, has climbed from about 30% in 1978 to nearly 50% in 2022.
Plus, many people aren’t getting enough exercise. And Baby Boomers are getting older, which increases the risk for heart disease.
So while we’re winning one battle, we’re seeing more people with ongoing heart issues. That’s why prevention is so important. People need to take steps early to protect their hearts and keep them strong for life. That means eating healthy, staying active, keeping a healthy weight, and not smoking. It also means staying on top of your blood pressure, managing diabetes, and taking your medications as directed.
