There were 281,135 deaths from heart disease linked to obesity in that time range, the researchers said, and the death rate tripled from 2.2 deaths per 100,000 people to 6.6 deaths per 100,000. The increase in obesity-related deaths contrasted with a steady decline (nearly 18 percent) in heart disease deaths overall from 1999 to 2020. Overall, the deaths also were more common among men than women, although Black women had a slightly higher mortality rate than Black men. AdvertisementObesity, which is a major risk factor for heart disease, affects about 115 million people in the United States — about 42 percent of adults and 20 percent of children, according to the CDC. The researchers found that ischemic heart disease (narrowed arteries) and high blood pressure were the most common causes of obesity-related heart disease deaths in the two decades they tracked.

Source: Washington Post September 18, 2023 21:55 UTC