SCOTT DETROW, HOST:
Next up, some good news about heart disease. Deaths caused by strokes and other heart conditions are on the decline. That's according to a new study from the American Heart Association. So what will it take to keep the momentum going? NPR's Allison Aubrey reports.
ALLISON AUBREY, BYLINE: About every 34 seconds, someone somewhere in the U.S. dies from heart disease, which remains the leading cause of death for both men and women. So the news of a decline is striking. Here's cardiologist Dr. Stacey Rosen of the American Heart Association.
STACEY ROSEN: The good news is encouraging to see, that deaths from heart disease and stroke are down. And I think that's very good and certainly puts us in the right direction.
AUBREY: Rosen says emerging from the long shadow of the pandemic helps explain the dip, which amounts to about 25,000 fewer deaths in 2023 compared to the year before.
ROSEN: I think the last five years, as health overall was impacted by the COVID pandemic, was something of a anomaly.
AUBREY: Now the challenge is to maintain the positive momentum, which Rosen says will require a preventive strategy, where the health care system and each person as an individual focus more on the conditions that set the stage for heart disease. For starters, everyone should know whether they have high blood pressure, also known as hypertension.
ROSEN: When you look at the United States' statistics, there's actually almost 50% of Americans have the diagnosis of hypertension. And it is truly, aside from quitting tobacco, the most modifiable risk that we have.
AUBREY: Many people don't realize they have high blood pressure because it doesn't bring any specific symptoms. That's why checkups are important. And the good news is that treating high blood pressure with medicine and lifestyle changes can literally prevent heart disease, explains Sadiya Khan of Northwestern University. She's part of the team behind the new report.
SADIYA KHAN: Improving high blood pressure with medicine has never been easier. There are so many inexpensive therapies available. And getting blood pressure under control can add years to life, as well as prevent heart disease, stroke and dementia.
AUBREY: Two additional drivers of heart disease are obesity and diabetes, which can also be managed with a combination of medicines and changes in lifestyle habits, including eating better and moving more. Dr. Khan says, to make progress, community-level policy changes could help.
KHAN: Having environments that promote activity can help us make healthier choices. And so thinking about policies on a local level that can create more green spaces for having safe places to exercise.
AUBREY: And when it comes to individual changes, Dr. Stacey Rosen says it can be best to start with small, bite-sized goals.
ROSEN: So rather than saying, I'm going to lose weight, I'm going to exercise more, say, I'm going to take the stairs twice a day every day. I'm going to not have a breadbasket if I go out for a meal.
AUBREY: Celebrating small wins is a nice on-ramp to healthier habits, which can help fend off heart disease.
Allison Aubrey, NPR News. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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