Erik Swain , 2025-05-15 14:13:00
Key takeaways:
- Deaths linked to both acute MI and obesity have risen during the course of the 21st century.
- Rates varied by race, sex and state/region.
Deaths attributed to both acute heart attack and obesity rose between 2007 and 2019, according to findings from the CDC WONDER database presented at the Society for Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions Scientific Sessions.
The rates of such deaths varied by race, sex and geographic region, the researchers found.

Researchers analyzed 44,599 deaths of U.S. adults aged 25 years or older between 2007 and 2019 included in the CDC WONDER database and attributed to both acute MI and obesity. The results were simultaneously published in the Journal of the Society for Cardiovascular Angiography & Interventions.
“Our team conducted this study to address critical gaps in understanding trends and disparities in acute myocardial infarction and obesity-related mortality in the U.S. from 1999 to 2019,” Farhan Naeem, MD, postdoctoral research fellow in the department of cardiology at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard University School of Medicine, who presented the findings, told Healio. “As cardiovascular disease remains a leading cause of death, analyzing these trends across demographics and regions is vital for informing targeted policies and supporting underserved communities.”
Farhan Naeem
Age-adjusted rates of mortality from acute MI and obesity rose from 1.2 per 100,000 people in 2007 to 1.7 per 100,000 people in 2019, for an annual percent change of 2.7%, according to the researchers. The rate spiked to 2.12 per 100,000 people in 2020, the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, Naeem told Healio.
The age-adjusted mortality rate was higher in men (1.9 per 100,000 people) than in women (1.1 per 100,000 people), Naeem and colleagues found.
Black adults had the highest age-adjusted mortality rate (1.9 per 100,000 people), followed by Native American/Alaska Native adults (1.8 per 100,000 people), white adults (1.6 per 100,000 people), Hispanic/Latino adults (0.9 per 100,000 people) and Asian American/Pacific Islander adults (0.3 per 100,000 people), according to the researchers.
By state, the highest age-adjusted mortality rates were in Wyoming (3.7 per 100,000 people), Arkansas (3.3 per 100,000 people) and South Dakota (3.2 per 100,000 people), whereas by region, the highest rate was in the Midwest (1.7 per 100,000 people), the researchers found.
They also found that the rate in metropolitan areas (1.3 per 100,000 people) was lower than that in nonmetropolitan areas (2.4 per 100,000 people).
“The results showed a mix of expected and notable trends,” Naeem told Healio. “A decline in acute MI mortality was anticipated due to medical advancements, but the significant rise in obesity-related deaths and combined acute MI-obesity mortality (from 1.19 in 1999 to 1.68 in 2019, spiking to 2.12 in 2020) underscored the growing obesity epidemic. Stark disparities, with higher mortality among non-Hispanic Black/African Americans, men, Midwest residents and rural areas, highlighted persistent inequities, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic.”
Tailored public health strategies should be implemented to reduce the disparities identified in the study, Naeem told Healio.
“Culturally sensitive programs should promote healthy lifestyles and early CVD screening for high-risk groups like non-Hispanic Black/African Americans and [Native American]/Alaska Natives,” he said. “Addressing social determinants — such as access to health care and healthy food — is critical. In high-risk regions like the Midwest and rural areas, improving cardiac care access and infrastructure is key. Policy investments in research and community-based interventions could promote equitable health outcomes.”
Reference:
For more information:
Farhan Naeem, MD, can be reached at farhannaeem1231@gmail.com.