The good news is that for Americans older than 25, deaths from heart attacks plummeted by nearly 90% over the past five decades. Overall deaths from heart disease also fell by 66%. Unfortunately, according to a new study published by the American Heart Association, deaths from other forms of heart disease rose by 81% between 1970 and 2022. The greatest increases were due to heart failure (146%), hypertensive heart disease (106%) and arrhythmias (450%).

Back in 1970, heart attacks were responsible for 54% of all deaths from heart-related issues, says CNN, and by 2022 that number dropped to 29%. Lead study author Dr. Sara King, of Stanford University School of Medicine in California, explained there have been “great strides made in helping people survive initial acute cardiac events that were once considered a death sentence.”

However, deaths from atrial fibrillation and other forms of arrythmias, which can cause the heart to beat too quickly, too slowly, or erratically, were rare in the 1970s. By 2022, the numbers increased by 450%, accounting for about 4% of all heart disease deaths. Heart failure mortality increased 146% and deaths due to chronic high blood pressure rose by 106%.

The study authors say this reflects a rise in risk factors such as obesity, diabetes, hypertension and physical inactivity. An estimated 50% of adults have diabetes or prediabetes, and 40% have obesity. The U.S. population is also older — life expectancy in 1970 was 70.9 years compared with 77.5 years in 2022 — giving people more years to accumulate chronic conditions.

“Often it’s the passage of time that can lead to conditions such as atrial fibrillation or heart failure,” King said. “Finding ways to age healthily is going to be the next frontier of heart care.” According to Stanford Medicine, heart disease remains the leading cause of death in the U.S.

“We have so many tools in our toolbox now, but still, there’s a lot more that can be developed and improved,” King said. “I hope the numbers just keep getting better.”