Human study · Aging · 2 Nov 2026
After a long decline, heart-valve death rates in U.S. older adults rose from 2018 to 2023
Source: EurekAlert
What the research found
EurekAlert and the American Heart Association, 2 November 2026, described preliminary Scientific Sessions abstract 17023. CDC WONDER records counted 1,204,490 valvular heart disease deaths among U.S. adults ages 65 and older from 1999 to 2023 (42.9 percent men, 57.1 percent women). The age-adjusted rate fell from 123.2 deaths per 100,000 in 1999, then rose to 109.2 in 2023. The release highlights a rise of nearly 5 percent from 2018 to 2023, from 104 to more than 109 per 100,000. Men had a higher rate than women (124.7 versus 103.1). Nonmetropolitan areas were higher than metropolitan areas (120.5 versus 110.1). The forecast holds the rate near 109.2 per 100,000 through 2040. Hritvik Jain said the long decline has stopped. This is a preliminary records study. Death certificates cannot show cause, severity, or care, and the pandemic years may have affected the late trend. The deaths are in the older adult population. Not medical advice.
Evidence level: Human study. A study in people, but an association isn't proof of cause.
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