Your Everyday Habits Could Be Destroying Your Cardiovascular Health, American Heart Association Warns (Image Credits: iStock)
Heart disease remains the leading cause of death in the United States, with major risk factors such as obesity, diabetes, and high blood pressure continuing to rise. According to the 2025 Heart Disease and Stroke Statistics Report from the American Heart Association (AHA), these health conditions are undermining efforts to reduce heart-related deaths.
The annual report, published in the AHA journal Circulation, revealed a slight increase in heart-related deaths in 2022, marking an ongoing challenge despite medical advancements. In 2022, 941,652 deaths were attributed to heart disease, an increase of over 10,000 deaths compared to 2021. While the surge in deaths seen during the COVID-19 pandemic has slowed, heart disease remains the number one killer in the U.S.
Heart Disease
Dr Keith Churchwell, president of the American Heart Association, emphasized the alarming frequency of heart disease-related deaths.
“Someone dies from heart disease every 34 seconds, amounting to nearly 2,500 deaths every day,” Churchwell said in a statement. “These are not just numbers—they represent our friends, family members, and loved ones.”
Heart disease and stroke combined claim more lives than all cancers and accidental deaths together, making them the most significant health threats in the country.
The Rise of Key Risk Factors
According to the report, certain cardiovascular risk factors are increasing at an alarming rate:
- High Blood Pressure (Hypertension): Affects nearly 47 per cent of U.S. adults.
- Unhealthy Weight: More than 72 per cent of adults are overweight, with nearly 42 per cent classified as obese.
- Diabetes and Prediabetes: More than 57 per cent of Americans have type 2 diabetes or prediabetes.
Dr. Dhruv Kazi, a cardiology expert at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, warns that if these trends continue, by 2050:
- Hypertension and obesity could each affect more than 180 million adults.
- Diabetes cases could rise to over 80 million.
Health Disparities: Who Is Most at Risk?The report highlights significant racial and ethnic disparities in heart disease risk factors:
- Black women have the highest obesity rate at 58 per cent, while Asian women have the lowest at 15 per cent.
- Hispanic men have the highest diabetes rate at 15 per cent, while white women have the lowest at 8 per cent.
- Black women also have the highest hypertension rate at 58 per cent, compared to 35 per cent of Hispanic women.
The Cost of Excess Weight
Excess weight is emerging as a bigger health threat than smoking, the report states.
“Being overweight is the new smoking when it comes to health risks,” said Dr Latha Palaniappan, professor of cardiovascular medicine at Stanford University.
Excess weight can shorten life expectancy by up to 2.4 years, and its impact is twice as severe for women and significantly higher for Black adults compared to white adults.
A Drop in Smoking and Cholesterol Levels
Despite these worrying statistics, the report notes some positive trends:
1. Smoking Rates Are Declining:
- In 1965, 51 per cent of men and 34 per cent of women smoked.
- By 2018, these numbers dropped to 16 per cent for men and 12 per cent for women.
- Today, less than 12 per cent of U.S. adults smoke cigarettes.
2. Lower Cholesterol Levels:
- Increased awareness of healthy diets and lifestyle choices, along with improved medications, has helped reduce high cholesterol rates over the years.
The Economic Burden of Heart Disease
Beyond the human toll, heart disease is placing a heavy financial strain on the healthcare system.
- In 2020-2021, the U.S. spent 418 billion dollars on heart disease-related healthcare, accounting for 11 per cent of the nation’s total healthcare spending.
- If current trends continue, cardiovascular disease costs are expected to triple by 2050, making up nearly 5 per cent of the national GDP.
The Future of Heart Disease Prevention
With the rising number of obesity-related illnesses, new medications and treatments are being developed to combat weight gain, high blood pressure, and diabetes. However, experts warn that breakthrough treatments alone are not enough.
“Simply discovering new therapies won’t solve the problem—we need to make sure these treatments are affordable and accessible to those who need them most,” Dr Kazi said.
Health experts emphasize the importance of lifestyle changes, including:
- Maintaining a healthy weight through a balanced diet and regular exercise.
- Managing blood pressure with lifestyle changes and, if needed, medication.
- Reducing processed food and sugar intake to lower diabetes risk.
- Regular heart screenings to detect potential problems early.
The latest AHA report shows a critical public health crisis, with heart disease risk factors continuing to rise. While progress has been made in reducing smoking and cholesterol levels, obesity, diabetes, and hypertension remain major threats. To reverse this trend, experts urge greater public awareness, lifestyle changes, and accessible healthcare interventions to prevent millions of premature deaths in the coming years.
Get Latest News Live on Times Now along with Breaking News and Top Headlines from Health and around the world.
