U.S. Makes Strides Against Heart Disease — But Not Everywhere

Between 1980 and 2014, the number of Americans dying from cardiovascular disease was cut in half. Though cardiovascular disease — an umbrella term for conditions that affect the heart and circulatory system, commonly known as heart disease — remains the most common cause of death in the U.S. by a wide margin, the drop in deaths shows significant progress. This nationwide trend, however, obscures the fact that not every region has made such headway. A new analysis shows that different types of cardiovascular disease have much higher mortality rates in some parts of the country than others.