Heart Attack Deaths are Down, But Heart Disease Remains the Nation’s Leading Cause of Death
12/23/2025
By Mayra Torres Posadas, APRN, CFNP
Mayra Torres Posadas specializes in cardiology at MountainView Medical Group - Heart and Vascular Center
Deaths from heart attack have dropped by nearly 90 percent over the past 50 years, but deaths by other heart conditions have increased over the same period. The heart attack survival rate has improved thanks to advances in treatment and intervention, but rising cases of atrial fibrillation and arrhythmias, heart failure, and hypertensive heart disease are now the leading causes of death among heart conditions.
Likely contributing to these increases, more people in the U.S. have the heart disease risk factors of obesity, type-2 diabetes, high blood pressure, poor food choices and inactivity. An estimated 50 percent of adults have diabetes, and nearly 50 percent of adults have hypertension. These chronic conditions cause functional changes in the way the body works, and can accelerate the development of heart related illness.
Medical care for heart attacks and heart disease has advanced significantly since 1970, and this gives patients more chance to survive and live longer. Even so, heart disease remains the leading cause of death overall. If you have a condition such as heart failure, atrial fibrillation or hypertensive heart disease, it’s critical to work with your provider for treatment to manage symptoms and protect your quality of life.
Baby Boomers are reaching the age when they are more likely to develop heart disease. A regular relationship with a primary care provider will help identify symptoms or risk factors that signal possible concern. If your doctor suspects you have heart disease, you may be referred to a cardiovascular specialist for further diagnostic testing and treatment to help manage symptoms and prevent events.
Heart failure or congestive heart failure means the heart is unable to pump enough to support the body’s need for blood and oxygen. While there is no cure, treatment recommended by your provider may include medication and cardiac rehabilitation or devices such as a pacemaker or an implantable defibrillator, depending on the type of heart failure you have and how serious it is.
Arrhythmia or an irregular heart beat also limit the heart in pumping enough blood to meet the body’s functional needs. Treatment can include medications or procedures to implant devices that control your heartbeat such as a pacemaker or catheter ablation.
Hypertensive heart disease means the heart muscle is damaged or weakened due to long-term high blood pressure. If you are diagnosed with high blood pressure, your provider will develop a treatment plan including heart healthy lifestyle changes which may also include medications to help manage your blood pressure and prevent complications.
Regardless of your heart condition, it is critical to follow your provider’s recommended treatment plan to help you live a longer, more active life. Your provider will likely also recommend making healthier choices with diet and activity level and managing any risk factors you may have such as cholesterol, high blood pressure or diabetes.
What this means for you
Prevention is key: Healthy diet, exercise, maintaining a healthy weight, not smoking, and managing blood pressure are more important than ever to prevent these chronic conditions.
Heart disease isn't gone: The progress is fantastic, but heart disease remains the leading cause of death, and the fight has shifted from surviving heart attacks to managing long-term heart health.
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