Here’s Why Heart Attack Deaths Are Decreasing But Chronic Heart Disease Deaths Are Growing

Prevention,Chronic Conditions,Preventive Care,Physical Health,Whole Person Health

Here’s Why Heart Attack Deaths Are Decreasing But Chronic Heart Disease Deaths Are Growing

Lindsay Knake

07.11.2025 | 3 min read

Lindsay Knake is a brand journalist for Blue Cross B...

Key Takeaways

Heart disease deaths have decreased by 66% in the past 50 years, with heart attack deaths dropping by 89%, according to a new American Heart Association study.
Despite this decline, deaths from chronic heart conditions such as heart failure, arrhythmias and hypertensive heart disease have increased significantly since 1970, with arrhythmias rising by 450%.
To reduce the risk of heart disease, eat a nutritious diet, get regular exercise, maintain a healthy weight and get annual physicals.

Deaths by heart disease have dropped by 66% in the past 50 years, according to a new study from the American Heart Association. This is largely because of a decline in fatal heart attacks.

But at the same time, deaths from chronic heart conditions have risen in the past five decades. Let’s look at the study, heart disease mortality and prevention.

Heart attack deaths since 1970

For a century, heart disease has been the leading cause of death in the United States. To get a better picture of heart disease deaths, researchers analyzed mortality data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Vital Statistics System of adults age 25 and older from 1970 to 2022. The study found:

41% of all deaths in 1970 were because of heart-related conditions.
More than 90% of heart-related deaths were ischemic, or a loss of blood flow. The loss of blood to the heart muscle from the coronary arteries can lead to a heart attack if the blood loss is severe or lasts for more than a few minutes.
In the past 50 years, heart attack deaths decreased by 89%, and coronary heart disease deaths dropped by 81%.

Researchers attribute this improvement to improved diagnoses, medical technology, health interventions to manage high blood pressure, high cholesterol, smoking and heart attacks.

Only 11.6% of Americans smoked cigarettes as of 2022, compared to 40% in 1970, according to the CDC.

Increase in chronic heart conditions

In 2022, 24% of all deaths were attributed to heart related conditions, a significant decrease in the past 50 years. But since 1970, there has been an increase in chronic conditions such as hypertensive heart disease, heart failure and arrhythmias.

In 2022, 53% of heart disease deaths are ischemic heart disease.
47% of heart disease deaths are attributed to other heart conditions, such as chronic conditions.
450% increase in arrhythmias, or heart palpitations, since 1970.
146% increase in heart failure in the past 50 years.
106% hypertensive heart disease since 1970.

This is related to a few factors: the U.S. population has aged and the life expectancy has increase about seven years to 77.5 years in 2022. Longer lives means an increase in chronic conditions such as diabetes, high blood pressure and diabetes. About 50% of American adults have pre-diabetes or diabetes.

Preventing chronic heart disease

The American Heart Association estimates heart disease in the U.S. will cost $1.1 trillion by 2035. Signs of heart disease include:

Fatigue
Shortness of breath
Swollen ankles or feet
Arrythmias, or heart palpitations
Unexplained aches and pains

You can reduce the risk of heart disease with healthy habits, including:

Eating a nutritious diet: Each day, eat fresh fruits and vegetables, lean meat and whole grains. Limit processed and red meat, refined carbohydrates, alcohol, ultra-processed foods and sugary and high sodium foods.
Exercising regularly: Regular cardiovascular exercise such as walking, swimming and running helps lower the risk of stroke and diabetes. Aim for 150 minutes of moderate exercise per week and talk to your primary care provider (PCP) before starting a new exercise routine.
Avoiding or quitting smoking: Smoking tobacco increases the risk of developing narrowed arteries, which restrict blood flow and increases the risk of heart disease.
Maintaining a healthy weight: Excess body weight can contribute to high cholesterol and high blood pressure, which increase the risk of developing heart disease.
Getting annual physicals: Seeing your PCP for regular checkups and screenings. Identifying health conditions early can make them easier to treat and save money in the long term.
Managing chronic conditions: Diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol can increase the risk of developing heart disease. Work with your PCP to manage the conditions and take medications as prescribed.

Image: Getty Images

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