U.S. Heart Disease and Stroke Deaths Decline, But Still Rank as the Leading Killer

This week, the American Heart Association released its annual Heart Disease and Stroke Statistics for 2026. Deaths from both heart disease and stroke have decreased in recent years, but these conditions still remain the leading cause of death for Americans.

"Nearly half of U.S. adults now fall under the umbrella of cardiovascular disease, and that should be a wake-up call," says cardiologist and cardiac electrophysiologist Andrew Rudin, MD, of Natural Heart Doctor. "It’s what happens when sleep gets short...