Heart disease and stroke remain the leading causes of death in the United States, accounting for more than one-quarter of all deaths, despite a steady five-year decline, according to a new American Heart Association report.
More Americans continue to die from heart disease and stroke than from any other causes, even as overall death rates improve following the COVID-19 pandemic, the American Heart Association said Wednesday in its 2026 Heart Disease and Stroke Statistics Update.
Heart disease remains the nation’s leading cause of death, while stroke has risen to the fourth-leading cause, surpassing several other major conditions. Together, the two conditions still kill more people than the second- and third-leading causes of death combined, the association said.
Heart Disease And Stroke Still Dominate Mortality
Based on national data from 2023, cardiovascular disease caused 915,973 deaths in the United States, including fatalities from heart disease, stroke, hypertension, and heart failure. That figure represents a decline of 25,679 deaths, or 2.73%, from 2022.
“It’s encouraging to see that total deaths from heart disease and stroke declined,” said Dr. Stacey E. Rosen, volunteer president of the American Heart Association. “The past five years appear to have been an anomaly, given the huge impact the pandemic had on all health.”
Despite the progress, Rosen said cardiovascular disease continues to claim too many lives each day. “The fact remains that heart disease and stroke continue to take the lives of too many of our loved ones every day,” she said. “Together, they still kill more people than the number two and number three causes of death.”
When combined, heart disease and stroke account for more than 25% of all U.S. deaths. Cancer ranks as the second-leading cause of death, followed by accidents, according to the report.
Death Rates Decline Across Key Categories
Coronary heart disease alone caused 349,470 deaths in 2023, a decrease of 22,036 deaths, or 5.9%, compared with 2022. Stroke deaths also declined, with 162,639 fatalities recorded in 2023, down 2,754 deaths, or 1.7%, from the previous year.
Overall, cardiovascular disease resulted in an average of one death every 34 seconds in 2023, the association said. Heart disease accounted for one death every three minutes, while stroke caused one death every three minutes and 14 seconds.
The cardiovascular disease death rate stood at 218.3 deaths per 100,000 people nationwide in 2023, reflecting gradual improvement from pandemic-era peaks.
Public health experts attribute much of the recent decline to improved emergency care, wider use of preventive medications, and increased awareness of cardiovascular risks, although the association cautioned that progress remains uneven across populations.
Risk Factors Remain Widespread After Pandemic
While overall mortality rates are improving, experts warn that the underlying burden of cardiovascular disease remains high. About half of all U.S. adults continue to live with some form of cardiovascular disease, the report found.
“The good news is that, overall, fewer people are dying from any cause, and death rates are improving as life expectancy continues to rebound after the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Dr. Latha P. Palaniappan, volunteer chair of the statistics update writing committee and a professor of cardiovascular medicine at Stanford University.
However, Palaniappan said cardiovascular risks remain elevated compared with pre-pandemic levels. “Those rates are still higher than they were before the pandemic, and persistent increases in common conditions, like high blood pressure, diabetes, and obesity, continue to drive the risk,” she said.
The American Heart Association said the findings highlight the need for continued investment in prevention, early detection, and equitable access to care to sustain recent gains and reduce long-term cardiovascular risk.
