Heart attacks are no longer the leading cause of death in the US

Heart attacks, once the top killer in the U.S., have seen a dramatic decline in fatalities—dropping nearly 90% since 1970. That’s a huge win for modern medicine and public health efforts. But before we celebrate too much, there’s a catch: deaths from chronic heart conditions, like heart failure, have been climbing. So while we’re better at treating sudden heart attacks, long-term heart health remains a serious challenge.