It appears to have accelerated a long-brewing reversal in US heart failure deaths, with mortality climbing faster since 2020 after years of decline, new research shows. Heart failure has emerged as one of the clearest signals of the pandemic’s lasting impact on chronic disease. Unlike heart attacks or strokes, which are sudden events, heart failure reflects cumulative damage and is especially sensitive to gaps in routine care and long-term management. Nationally, age-adjusted heart failure death rates declined from 1999 through about 2011 before reversing course. If heart failure mortality continues to rise, it risks becoming a dominant driver of post-pandemic heart disease deaths, threatening to reverse decades of progress — especially for populations already bearing the highest burden of chronic illness.

Source: The Edge Markets January 12, 2026 16:51 UTC