An updated guide to the latest research on heart disease and stroke is filled with important data for experts fighting these debilitating problems.

But to those responsible for the guide, “2026 Heart disease and stroke statistics: A report of US and global data from the American Heart Association” is about more than lines on charts.

“The data provided in the statistical update may look like numbers to many,” said Dr. Stacey E. Rosen, the American Heart Association’s volunteer president, in a news release. “But for the American Heart Association, those lives are at stake.”

The updatewhich the Association has produced annually since 1927, was published on 21 January in the journal Circulation.

Here are highlights to help you understand the scale of the fight—and what you can do to protect yourself and your loved ones.

Heart disease is by far the leading cause of death in the United States

Heart disease remains the leading cause of death in the US, while stroke has moved up to No. 4, replacing COVID-19, which fell to No. 10, according to the update.

Combined, heart disease and stroke accounted for more than a quarter of all deaths in the United States in 2023, the most current year for which data is available.

Cardiovascular disease, including all types of heart disease and stroke, claims more lives in the United States each year than the No. 2 and No. 3 causes—cancer and accidents—combined. Someone died from cardiovascular disease every 34 seconds on average in 2023.

The actual number of deaths from heart disease and stroke has decreased

“The good news is that overall fewer people are dying from any cause, and death rates are improving as life expectancy continues to rise after the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Dr. Latha P. Palaniappan, professor of cardiovascular medicine at Stanford University in Palo Alto, California. She led the committee responsible for the statistical update.

• In 2023, there were 915,973 deaths from cardiovascular disease, including heart disease, stroke, hypertension and heart failure. That was down from 941,652 in 2022.
• Coronary heart disease, which affects the arteries of the heart and often leads to a heart attack, was the underlying cause of 349,470 US deaths in 2023, down from 371,506 in 2022.
• Stroke was the underlying cause of 162,639 US deaths in 2023, down from 165,393 in 2022.
• Adjusted for age, the number of deaths from cardiovascular diseases in 2023 was 218.3 per 100,000 people compared to 224.3 per 100,000 in 2022.

“It’s encouraging to see that the total number of deaths from heart disease and stroke decreased,” said Rosen, who is also senior vice president for women’s health and executive director of the Katz Institute for Women’s Health of Northwell Health in New York City. “The last five years seem to have been an anomaly given the enormous impact the pandemic had on all health during that time.”

But while the overall number of stroke deaths fell for the first time in several years, the number of stroke deaths among younger and older age groups increased. Among people aged 25 to 34, the unadjusted death rate from stroke increased 8.3% between 2013 and 2023. The rate increased 18.2% among people over 85.

And about half of all adults in the United States go on to have some form of cardiovascular disease, Palaniappan said. “These rates are still higher than they were before the pandemic, and ongoing increases in common conditions such as high blood pressure, diabetes and obesity continue to drive the risk.”

The trends in root problems are worrying

Palaniappan called the growing prevalence of health conditions that contribute to cardiovascular disease worrisome.

Comparison of data from 2017 to 2020 with data from 2021 to 2023:

• About 125.9 million adults in the United States – about 47.3% – have high blood pressure, compared with 122.4 million or 46.7% previously.
• Nearly 29.5 million adults have been diagnosed with diabetes, compared to 29.3 million previously. Only 43.5% of adults treated for type 2 diabetes have their condition under control.
• While the level of adults with obesity or severe obesity fell to around 50% from 51.1%, the number has increased among people aged 2 to 19 – from 25.4% previously to 28.1% now.

CKM syndrome a concern for younger adults

This year’s update added a chapter on cardiovascular-renal-metabolic syndrome, a disorder that links heart disease, kidney disease, diabetes and obesity. Almost 90% of American adults have some level of CKM syndromeand more than 80% of young and middle-aged adults show early risk.

“These numbers should ring alarm bells, especially among young adults, because it’s a snapshot into our future,” said Dr. Sadiya S. Khan, Magerstadt Professor of Cardiovascular Epidemiology and Associate Professor of Cardiology and Preventive Medicine at Northwestern’s Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago. She was vice-chair of the group that wrote the update.

Despite the problems, encouraging signs

“While these rising numbers may feel discouraging, the advances in our diagnostic and therapeutic arsenal offer hope,” Khan said. “We can spot warning signs before incidents occur, and we now have many tools to prevent incidents. Prevention is our most effective way to have the most impact, and the more we use it and the faster we use it, the more lives we can save.”

Several studies in the update looked at the effects of a set of basic factors that affect heart health known as Life is important 8.

Among the results:

• In the United States, optimal Life’s Essential 8 scores could prevent up to 40% of annual all-cause and cardiovascular deaths among adults.
• A review of 59 studies from 2010 to 2022 found that people who had ideal cardiovascular health as measured by Life’s Essential 8 had a 74% lower risk of cardiovascular events compared to those who had poor cardiovascular health.
• Better cardiovascular health was associated with younger brain age, slower cognitive decline and reduced risk of dementia.

Life’s Essential 8 includes health behaviors (eat better, be more active, quit smoking, and get healthy sleep) and health factors (manage weight, control cholesterol, control blood sugar, and control blood pressure) that are key to improving and maintaining cardiovascular health.

Palaniappan noted that few people comply with these measures. For example, only 1 in 4 adults in the US meet national guidelines for physical activity. Among 6- to 17-year-olds, only 1 in 5 is physically active for 60 minutes or more every day.

Rosen said she hoped the information in the statistical update could serve as a guide for communities to unite for change and for individuals to take personal action.

“We know that as much as 80% of heart disease and stroke can be prevented with lifestyle changes, and many chronic health conditions that contribute to poor cardiovascular health can be managed,” Rosen said. “Improving your cardiovascular health is possible, but it will take a concerted effort.”

Find more information, including translated material, about the latest American Heart Association heart disease and stroke statistics at heart.org/statistics.