The American Heart Association's 2026 Heart Disease and Stroke Statistics Update reports a decline in cardiovascular deaths following a five-year upward trend likely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, yet heart disease and stroke continue to kill more Americans annually than any other cause. Together, these conditions accounted for more than a quarter of all U.S. deaths in 2023, with heart disease responsible for 22% and stroke for 5.3% of fatalities, according to data published in Circulation, the Association's flagship journal.
In 2023, there were 915,973 total deaths from cardiovascular disease, including heart disease, stroke, hypertension and heart failure, down from 941,652 in 2022. The age-adjusted rate of CVD deaths decreased to 218.3 per 100,000 people from 224.3 per 100,000. Coronary heart disease caused 349,470 deaths, while stroke was responsible for 162,639 fatalities. On average, someone died of cardiovascular disease every 34 seconds, with heart disease claiming approximately two lives every three minutes and stroke claiming one life every three minutes and 14 seconds.
Despite the overall decline, stroke has moved to the fourth leading cause of death, replacing COVID-19, which dropped to tenth position. Alarmingly, the crude stroke death rate increased by 8.3% among people aged 25 to 34 and by 18.2% among those over 85 between 2013 and 2023. "The fact remains that heart disease and stroke continue to take the lives of too many of our loved ones each and every day," said Stacey E. Rosen, M.D., FAHA, volunteer president of the American Heart Association.
The report highlights persistent increases in common conditions that drive cardiovascular risk. About 125.9 million U.S. adults now have high blood pressure, nearly 29.5 million have diagnosed diabetes, and approximately 50% of adults have obesity or severe obesity. An alarming increase in obesity among youth aged 2 to 19 was noted, rising from 25.4% to 28.1%. For the first time, the Statistics Update includes a chapter on cardiovascular-kidney-metabolic syndrome, revealing that nearly 90% of U.S. adults have some level of CKM syndrome and over 80% of young and middle-aged adults show early CKM risk.
"These numbers should ring alarm bells, particularly among young adults because that's a snapshot into our future," said Sadiya S. Khan, M.D., M.Sc., FAHA, volunteer vice-chair of the statistical update writing group. The report emphasizes that following the American Heart Association's Life's Essential 8™ healthy lifestyle guidance can dramatically reduce cardiovascular disease burden. Studies cited show that people with ideal cardiovascular health had a 74% lower risk of cardiovascular events, and optimal Life's Essential 8 scores could prevent up to 40% of annual all-cause and CVD deaths among adults.
However, adherence to these measures remains poor. Diet scores are the lowest among the eight measures, only 25.3% of adults meet physical activity guidelines, and e-cigarettes have become the most used tobacco products among youths, with 18.1% of high school students reporting use. Less than half of adults being treated for Type 2 diabetes have their condition under control. "We know that as much as 80% of heart disease and stroke is preventable with lifestyle changes," Rosen noted, emphasizing that the data represents "lives on the line" and should serve as impetus for community and individual action.
