October 07, 2026
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Deaths from heart failure increased 37% between 2010 and 2023, reversing decades of progress, according to a new report.
Heart failure rates have more than doubled among young adults over the past 20 years, reversing decades of progress in combating the disease, a new report says.
Specifically, the 2026 report from the Heart Failure Society of America, published Monday, found that mortality rates jumped 121% among people ages 25 to 44 and 96% among people ages 45 to 64 between 2001 and 2020. This signals "a fundamental shift in the epidemiological landscape" of heart failure, the researchers wrote.
Increasing rates of obesity, hypertension and other cardiometabolic risk factors are all contributing to the rise in heart failure, according to the report.
"We have made extraordinary advances in our ability to treat heart failure, yet at the population level, the burden of heart failure continues to move in the wrong direction," said Dr. Eiran Gorodeski, director of the Advanced Heart Failure & Transplant Center at the University Hospitals Harrington Heart & Vascular Institute in Cleveland, who helped compile the report. The data "shows not only that more Americans are at risk, but that mortality is rising and younger adults are increasingly affected."
Heart failure contributed to nearly 453,000 deaths in the United States in 2023, the most recent data available. That means that more than 14% of all deaths were related to heart failure that year, and early analysis of 2024 data shows that those numbers continued to rise.
Overall, heart failure rates increased 37% between 2010 and 2023, according to the report.
Nearly 1 in 4 Americans will develop heart failure at some point in their lives, the report said. Roughly 7.7 million Americans – about 3% of the total population – are living with heart failure. Those figures are projected to rise to 8.7 million by 2030, 10.3 million by 2040 and 11.4 million by 2050, the report said.
"These findings underscore the urgency of translating what we know into better prevention, earlier recognition, greater use of proven therapies and continued research," Gorodeski said in a news release.
Although heart failure rates are increasing in younger adults, an aging population is also contributing to the rise in the prevalence of the disease. Deaths from heart failure most commonly occur in people over 65.
The findings also showed that disparities in heart failure rates and outcomes persist in certain ethnic groups and among rural communities. Black people continue to have the highest incidence of heart failure and mortality rates, the report said.
It also found that proven heart failure treatments "remain significantly underutilized."
Heart failure occurs when the heart is not pumping blood as well as it should be. This can lead to insufficient oxygen levels needed by different organs, cells and tissues throughout the body.
Type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, obesity and smoking are some of the factors that put people at higher risk for developing heart failure.
Symptoms of heart failure may include shortness of breath, persistent coughing or wheezing, swelling in the feet, ankles, fingers and stomach, fatigue, lack of appetite and confusion.
Serious complications may include kidney and liver damage, cardiac arrest and sudden cardiac death.
Medication and lifestyle adjustments can help manage heart failure, but there usually is no cure for the disease.
Advanced treatments may include devices, surgery and heart transplant.
There are several actions that lower risk of heart disease, though some risk factors, including family history, sex, birth and age cannot be altered.
The Mayo Clinic recommends people take the following eight actions to boost their heart health:
• Do not smoke or use tobacco
• Strive for 30-60 minutes of physical activity each day
• Eat a heart-healthy diet, like the Mediterranean or DASH diets
• Maintain a healthy weight
• Get at least 7 hours of sleep each night
• Manage stress
• Get health screenings for blood pressure, cholesterol and diabetes
• Take actions to prevent infections
