Heart disease prevalence by age in the U.S. 1997-2019

This statistic depicts the prevalence of heart disease in the United States between 1997 and 2019, by age. The heart disease prevalence for adults of 65 years of age and over decreased from 20.8 percent in 1997 to 18.3 percent in 2019.

Heart disease

Heart disease can include many disorders of the heart and blood vessels such as cerebrovascular disease, hypertension, and heart failure. Coronary heart disease (CHD), another type, is one of the leading causes of death in the United States. Coronary heart disease occurs when the small blood vessels that carry blood and oxygen to the heart begin to narrow due to a buildup of plaque in the arteries. This reduces or can even stop blood flow to the heart. Heart disease was the leading cause of death in the U.S. in 2020, with a rate of 168 deaths per 100,000 inhabitants.

Risk factors for heart disease

Certain traits, conditions, or habits can be considered risk factors as they can increase the risk of developing coronary heart disease. Smoking, low physical activity, unhealthy diets, and stress can lead to increased CHD risk. Certain ailments like diabetes, obesity, and high blood pressure and cholesterol can also increase CHD risk. Although, these risk factors can be avoided with a healthy lifestyle, some risk factors such as family history cannot be prevented. There are three main medical treatments available for CHD. This includes medical treatment such as beta-blockers, coronary interventions such as angioplasty, and coronary artery bypass grafting.