Latest news with #LathaPalaniappan
Courier-Mail
a day ago
- Health
- Courier-Mail
Deaths from heart attacks have decreased – here's what to look out for instead
Don't miss out on the headlines from Lifestyle. Followed categories will be added to My News. Coronary heart disease was one of the leading causes of death in Australia two years ago. But a new study in America says less people are dying from heart attacks, so what should we be looking out for? 430,000 Australians will experience a heart attack in their lifetime, according to the Heart Foundation, and one person dies of the artery blockage around every 80 minutes. But according to a new study from the Stanford University School of Medicine, deaths from the issue have dropped by close to 90 per cent, and the death rate of heart disease has decreased by 66 per cent in American adults above the age of 25. The research team found that 54 per cent of deaths from heart issues in 1970 were a result of heart attacks. That number had dropped to 29 per cent in 2022, according to US government data. X SUBSCRIBER ONLY Deaths from other conditions have increased But heart issues are still concerningly prevalent, and other types of heart disease have caused 81 per cent more deaths in the country since 1970. Arrhythmia, heart failure and hypertensive heart disease are the main worries, with the once rare fatalities from atrial fibrillation and arrhythmias increasing by 450 per cent over the 52 years. part from the aging population, related conditions are becoming increasingly common, putting more people at risk of heart issues. Image: iStock At the same time, heart failure-related deaths grew by 146 per cent, and there was a 106 per cent rise in high blood pressure-related deaths. Why are more people dying from other heart diseases? Apart from the aging population, related conditions are becoming increasingly common, putting more people at risk of heart issues. Obesity rates grew from 15 per cent to 40 per cent in the 52-year study period, while the prevalence of hypertension went from 30 per cent in 1978 to almost 50 per cent in 2022. Close to half of American adults are impacted by Type 2 diabetes and prediabetes too. All of these risk factors contribute to an ongoing burden of heart disease, especially as related to heart failure, hypertensive heart disease and arrhythmias. Image: Pexels Senior study author Dr Latha Palaniappan explained in a press release, 'All of these risk factors contribute to an ongoing burden of heart disease, especially as related to heart failure, hypertensive heart disease and arrhythmias'. 'Heart disease hasn't gone away. Now that people are surviving heart attacks, we are seeing a rise in other forms of heart disease like heart failure. The focus now must be on helping people age with strong, healthy hearts by preventing events, and prevention can start as early as childhood.' The team also pointed out that the way heart diseases are defined has changed over the years, and diagnostic tools have improved, so conditions that were rarely noted as a cause of death in the 70s may be more frequently identified now. In Australia, rates of cardiovascular disease have also decreased by 80 per cent since the 1980s. Image: iStock 'Over the past 50 years, our understanding of heart disease, what causes it and how we treat it has evolved considerably. That's especially true in how we address acute cardiac events that may appear to come on suddenly,' the study's lead author, Dr Sara King explained. 'From the establishment and increased use of bystander CPR and automated external defibrillators to treat cardiac arrest outside the hospital setting, to the creation of systems of care that promote early recognition of and quick procedural and medical intervention to treat heart attacks, there have been great strides made in helping people survive initial acute cardiac events that were once considered a death sentence.' We've won major battles against heart attacks. Image: iStock In Australia, rates of cardiovascular disease have also decreased by 80 per cent since the 1980s, thanks to a better understanding of medications, interventions and risk factors, according to the Heart Foundation. 'We've won major battles against heart attacks, however, the war against heart disease isn't over. King said. 'We now need to tackle heart failure and other chronic conditions that affect people as they age'. Originally published as Deaths from heart attacks have decreased – here's what to look out for instead
New York Post
2 days ago
- Health
- New York Post
Fewer people are dying of heart attacks — but these 3 deadly conditions are on the rise
Even good news can break your heart. A new study found that the number of Americans dying from heart attacks has dropped nearly 90% over the last 50 years — but your ticker still isn't in the clear. Researchers are warning that three other heart conditions are on the rise, now making up a larger share of cardiovascular disease deaths than ever before. Advertisement 4 Heart disease is the No. 1 killer of men and women in the US. dragonstock – Age-adjusted heart disease death rates among adults 25 and older from 1970 to 2022 were analyzed for the study, published Wednesday in the Journal of the American Heart Association. Researchers found that heart disease deaths overall dropped by 66% during this five-decade period, largely driven by a sharp decline in heart attacks. Advertisement In 1970, more than half of heart disease deaths were caused by heart attacks, a form of acute ischemic heart disease. By 2022, the age-adjusted death rate from heart attacks had fallen 89%, with fewer than one-third of heart disease deaths attributed to them. 4 Advancements in prevention and treatment have dramatically reduced heart disease deaths in recent years. PintoArt – Advertisement 'This evolution over the past 50 years reflects incredible successes in the way heart attacks and other types of ischemic heart disease are managed,' Dr. Sara King, a second-year internal medicine resident at Stanford University School of Medicine and the study's first author, said in a statement. 'There have been great strides made in helping people survive initial acute cardiac events that were once considered a death sentence,' she added. Among these advances: more bystander CPR, greater awareness of early heart attack signs, improved imaging tools and treatments and public health measures like no-smoking laws. But don't celebrate just yet. Advertisement 'Now that people are surviving heart attacks, we are seeing a rise in other forms of heart disease,' said Dr. Latha Palaniappan, associate dean for research at Stanford's School of Medicine and senior author of the study. 4 Roughly 1 in 5 deaths in the US is attributed to heart disease. tiero – The research team found that deaths from other types of heart disease surged 81% over the same 50-year period, with three conditions driving the increase. Deaths from arrhythmias — when the heart beats too fast, too slow or irregularly — increased the most, with the age-adjusted death rate soaring 450%. Heart failure deaths, caused by the heart's inability to pump enough blood, climbed 146%. And deaths from hypertensive heart disease, linked to long-term high blood pressure, rose 106%. These conditions are likely fueled, at least in part, by a growing number of Americans with cardiovascular risk factors, the researchers theorized. Advertisement For example, obesity rates in the US jumped from 15% in the 1970s to 40% by 2022. Type 2 diabetes now affects almost half of all adults, while the percentage of people with high blood pressure increased from 30% in 1978 to nearly 50% in 2022. 4 The rise in obesity in the US started in the late 1970s and early 1980s. motortion – Advertisement 'All of these risk factors contribute to an ongoing burden of heart disease,' Palaniappan said. The researchers also pointed to the country's aging population and longer life expectancy as potential factors, with more Americans living to ages when heart disease becomes more common. 'We've won major battles against heart attacks, however, the war against heart disease isn't over,' King said. 'The next frontier in heart health must focus on preventing heart attacks, and also on helping people age with healthier hearts and avoiding chronic heart conditions later in life,' she added. Advertisement The American Heart Association has outlined steps to significantly lower the risk of cardiovascular disease, called 'Life's Essential 8.' They include eating a healthier diet, managing weight, quitting smoking, getting more physical activity, improving sleep and maintaining healthy cholesterol, blood pressure and blood sugar levels.
