An analysis of data from the CDC’s WONDER database found that the number of people in the U.S. who died from ischemic heart disease related to obesity increased by approximately 180% from 1999 to 2020. The highest rate of deaths from ischemic heart disease related to obesity were noted among middle-aged men ages 55-64, Black adults and people who live in the Midwestern states and non-metropolitan areas in the U.S.

An analysis of death certificate data for more than 11 million U.S. adults from 2010 to 2022 found that cardiovascular disease death rates increased by about 21% for adults ages 25-64 living in rural areas, however, the rates declined by about 9% for adults ages 65 or older living in urban areas. After the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, cardiovascular death rates increased significantly more in rural compared to urban areas, a consistent finding across all ages.

Fear of another heart attack was a significant ongoing contributor to how heart attack survivors perceive their health, according to a new study. While anxiety and depression are recognized as common conditions after a heart attack, they did not explain the impact of fear of recurrence in this study. The researchers suggest that fear of another heart attack should be evaluated and addressed separately from depression and anxiety.

A small survey of adults aged 30 to 89 (average age of 65) in Sweden who have heart conditions found that there is a significant difference between the sexual health information they seek and what is provided to them by their health care professionals and the health care system. Despite 76% of patients with heart conditions reporting that sexual health affects their mood and well-being, only 5% received information or counseling about sexual health.

Scientists conducted a simulation study to estimate the impact of cardiovascular-kidney-metabolic (CKM) syndrome on cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk prediction. The study found that adults with chronic kidney disease would have elevated CVD risk eight years earlier than those without the disease. In addition, people with Type 2 diabetes would have an elevated CVD risk about a decade sooner than those without it.