Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsStatisticsRisk Factors and PreventionHeart Disease Survival RateFrequently Asked Questions
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Statistics
Risk Factors and Prevention
Heart Disease Survival Rate
Frequently Asked Questions
From 1990 to 2019, cardiovascular disease cases almost doubled, increasing from 271 million to 523 million worldwide. Deaths fromheart diseasealso increased, from 12.1 million in 1990 to 18.6 million in 2019.
Verywell / Jessica Olah
Heart disease is a broad term formany different heart conditions. This can include coronary heart disease, a heart attack, or heart failure.
By Age
By Gender
By Race and Ethnicity
By State
The states with the highest number of cardiovascular deaths among those age 35 and older are:
There are more cardiovascular disease and related deaths in Southern states because of more obesity, high blood pressure, and lack of physical activity in this area of the United States.
Worldwide
By Heart Disease Type
Heart Disease Costs in America
Many risk factors that can raise your chances for heart disease are within your control. These include:
The strongest risk factors for heart disease are high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and smoking, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Forty-seven percent of Americans have one or more of these factors.
Risk factors for heart disease and heart attacks that are out of your control include:
Even if you have factors for heart disease that are out of your control, you can still make changes to lower your chance of developing heart disease. Here are some tips to help prevent heart disease:
Treatment
The treatment for heart disease depends on the type of heart problem that you have.
For instance, if you have high blood pressure, your healthcare provider may ask you to use medicines to reduce it. There are several types of medicines for high blood pressure, including:
In addition to medications, your healthcare provider may suggest that you eat a healthy diet that is low in salt, limit alcohol, and get regular physical activity.
If you have high cholesterol, particularly a type of cholesterol calledLDL(also sometimes called “bad cholesterol”), your healthcare provider may prescribe a type of drug called astatin. Statin drugs can slow down the production of cholesterol in your liver.
Other medication types for high cholesterol include:
Your healthcare provider may advise you to follow a heart-healthy diet, get more physical activity, and maintain a healthy weight if you have high cholesterol.
Survival with heart disease often depends on the type of heart disease that you have. With many heart diseases, you can lead a long, healthy life if you use the right medications and follow other lifestyle recommendations from your healthcare team.
Mortality Rate
The following statistics relate to heart disease mortality in the United States:
A Word from Verywell
Sometimes, statistics can just seem like numbers on a page. With heart disease statistics, it’s important to keep in mind that these are real people whose lives are affected.
Use the numbers to help motivate yourself to follow heart-healthy habits. This includes eating a diet low in salt and saturated fats, getting more physical activity, and quitting smoking. Your heart will thank you.
High blood pressure, high cholesterol, and smoking are the three top causes of heart disease.
Women are more likely to die of heart disease. Black people are also 33% more likely to die of heart disease while in the hospital, regardless of the care received.
As of 2016, there were 121.5 million adults in the United States living with cardiovascular diseases. That’s 48% of the adult population.
18 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Roth GA, Mensah GA, Johnson CO, et al.Global burden of cardiovascular disease and risk factors, 1990-2019: update from the GBD 2019 study.J Am Coll Cardiol. 76(25):2982–3021.Virani SS, Alonso A, Aparicio HJ, et al.Heart disease and stroke statistics—2021 update.Circulation. 2021;143(8):e254–e743. doi:10.1161/CIR.0000000000000950Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Heart disease facts.American Heart Association.Older Americans and cardiovascular disease.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Women and heart disease.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Men and heart disease.American College of Cardiology.One size does not fit all: the role of sex, gender, race, and ethnicity in cardiovascular medicine.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Interactive atlas of heart disease and stroke.American College of Cardiology.Heart disease burden shifted to southern U.S. states.World Health Organization.Cardiovascular diseases.NIH RePORT.Estimates of funding for various research, condition, and disease categories.Million Hearts.Costs and consequences.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.About heart disease.American Heart Association.Understand your risks to prevent a heart attack.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Cholesterol-lowering medicine.Sudden Cardiac Arrest Association.Fact sheet: sudden cardiac arrest.Li S, Fonarow GC, Mukamal KJ, et al.Sex and race/ethnicity-related disparities in care and outcomes after hospitalization for coronary artery disease among older adults.Circ Cardiovasc Qual Outcomes. 2016;9(2 Suppl 1):S36-S44. doi:10.1161/CIRCOUTCOMES.115.002621American College of Cardiology.Latest statistics say nearly half of Americans have some form of heart disease.
18 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Roth GA, Mensah GA, Johnson CO, et al.Global burden of cardiovascular disease and risk factors, 1990-2019: update from the GBD 2019 study.J Am Coll Cardiol. 76(25):2982–3021.Virani SS, Alonso A, Aparicio HJ, et al.Heart disease and stroke statistics—2021 update.Circulation. 2021;143(8):e254–e743. doi:10.1161/CIR.0000000000000950Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Heart disease facts.American Heart Association.Older Americans and cardiovascular disease.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Women and heart disease.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Men and heart disease.American College of Cardiology.One size does not fit all: the role of sex, gender, race, and ethnicity in cardiovascular medicine.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Interactive atlas of heart disease and stroke.American College of Cardiology.Heart disease burden shifted to southern U.S. states.World Health Organization.Cardiovascular diseases.NIH RePORT.Estimates of funding for various research, condition, and disease categories.Million Hearts.Costs and consequences.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.About heart disease.American Heart Association.Understand your risks to prevent a heart attack.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Cholesterol-lowering medicine.Sudden Cardiac Arrest Association.Fact sheet: sudden cardiac arrest.Li S, Fonarow GC, Mukamal KJ, et al.Sex and race/ethnicity-related disparities in care and outcomes after hospitalization for coronary artery disease among older adults.Circ Cardiovasc Qual Outcomes. 2016;9(2 Suppl 1):S36-S44. doi:10.1161/CIRCOUTCOMES.115.002621American College of Cardiology.Latest statistics say nearly half of Americans have some form of heart disease.
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Roth GA, Mensah GA, Johnson CO, et al.Global burden of cardiovascular disease and risk factors, 1990-2019: update from the GBD 2019 study.J Am Coll Cardiol. 76(25):2982–3021.Virani SS, Alonso A, Aparicio HJ, et al.Heart disease and stroke statistics—2021 update.Circulation. 2021;143(8):e254–e743. doi:10.1161/CIR.0000000000000950Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Heart disease facts.American Heart Association.Older Americans and cardiovascular disease.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Women and heart disease.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Men and heart disease.American College of Cardiology.One size does not fit all: the role of sex, gender, race, and ethnicity in cardiovascular medicine.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Interactive atlas of heart disease and stroke.American College of Cardiology.Heart disease burden shifted to southern U.S. states.World Health Organization.Cardiovascular diseases.NIH RePORT.Estimates of funding for various research, condition, and disease categories.Million Hearts.Costs and consequences.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.About heart disease.American Heart Association.Understand your risks to prevent a heart attack.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Cholesterol-lowering medicine.Sudden Cardiac Arrest Association.Fact sheet: sudden cardiac arrest.Li S, Fonarow GC, Mukamal KJ, et al.Sex and race/ethnicity-related disparities in care and outcomes after hospitalization for coronary artery disease among older adults.Circ Cardiovasc Qual Outcomes. 2016;9(2 Suppl 1):S36-S44. doi:10.1161/CIRCOUTCOMES.115.002621American College of Cardiology.Latest statistics say nearly half of Americans have some form of heart disease.
Roth GA, Mensah GA, Johnson CO, et al.Global burden of cardiovascular disease and risk factors, 1990-2019: update from the GBD 2019 study.J Am Coll Cardiol. 76(25):2982–3021.
Virani SS, Alonso A, Aparicio HJ, et al.Heart disease and stroke statistics—2021 update.Circulation. 2021;143(8):e254–e743. doi:10.1161/CIR.0000000000000950
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Heart disease facts.
American Heart Association.Older Americans and cardiovascular disease.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Women and heart disease.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Men and heart disease.
American College of Cardiology.One size does not fit all: the role of sex, gender, race, and ethnicity in cardiovascular medicine.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Interactive atlas of heart disease and stroke.
American College of Cardiology.Heart disease burden shifted to southern U.S. states.
World Health Organization.Cardiovascular diseases.
NIH RePORT.Estimates of funding for various research, condition, and disease categories.
Million Hearts.Costs and consequences.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.About heart disease.
American Heart Association.Understand your risks to prevent a heart attack.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Cholesterol-lowering medicine.
Sudden Cardiac Arrest Association.Fact sheet: sudden cardiac arrest.
Li S, Fonarow GC, Mukamal KJ, et al.Sex and race/ethnicity-related disparities in care and outcomes after hospitalization for coronary artery disease among older adults.Circ Cardiovasc Qual Outcomes. 2016;9(2 Suppl 1):S36-S44. doi:10.1161/CIRCOUTCOMES.115.002621
American College of Cardiology.Latest statistics say nearly half of Americans have some form of heart disease.
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