Despite the fact that heart disease is still the leading cause of death in the United States, the rates of both hospitalizations and deaths from heart disease have declined in the past two decades.
According to a recent study, heart failure and stroke hospitalizations have declined about 30-40%. Results also showed that people who were hospitalized for a heart attack or unstable angina, have a 23% lower risk of dying within a year.
According to study researcher, Dr. Harlan Krumholz; a professor of medicine at Yale University said, “Interestingly, these improvements happened in a period when there were no real ‘miracle’ clinical advancements.” He credits the improvements to “Huge strides in lifestyle, quality of care and prevention strategies for cardiovascular health.”
Lifestyle changes like decrease in smoking and emphasis on heart-healthy behaviors have helped in the decline, along with early treatment of things like high blood pressure. While every year 600,000 Americans die from heart disease, the CDC and researchers believe by continuing these trends and improving treatment and prevention, heart disease will only continue to decline.