Roundup: Modifiable Risk Factors Linked to Most Heart Disease Deaths Over 33 Years; and More News

Most Heart Disease Deaths are Linked to Modifiable Risk Factors, Finds Study Covering Data Over 33 Years

A large new national study suggests that nearly 9 out of 10 deaths from ischemic heart disease — the most common type of heart disease in the United States — are linked to risk factors that people can potentially prevent or manage. The findings also highlight growing concerns about obesity and high blood sugar, which are contributing to more heart disease deaths than they did three decades ago.

Researchers analyzed data from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2023, which examined heart disease deaths across the United States from 1990 through 2023. The study was published this month in JAMA Cardiology.

Heart Disease Death Rates Have Fallen

The study found encouraging news: age-adjusted death rates from ischemic heart disease declined nearly 59 percent between 1990 and 2023. Researchers estimate there were about 473,000 deaths from ischemic heart disease in 2023, compared with nearly 597,000 in 1990.

Ischemic heart disease occurs when narrowed or blocked coronary arteries reduce blood flow to the heart muscle, increasing the risk of chest pain, heart attacks and heart failure.

Although death rates have improved substantially over the past three decades, the pace of improvement has slowed since about 2010, the researchers noted.

The Biggest Risk Factors

Researchers estimated that 88.7 percent of ischemic heart disease deaths in 2023 were associated with modifiable—or changeable—risk factors. These are health conditions or lifestyle habits that can often be prevented or treated.

The three leading contributors were:

• High systolic blood pressure (the top number in a blood pressure reading)
• Poor diet
• High LDL ("bad") cholesterol

Together, these factors accounted for a large share of heart disease deaths nationwide.

Other important risk factors included tobacco use, diabetes, physical inactivity, excess body weight, kidney disease, air pollution and alcohol use.

Obesity and High Blood Sugar Are Rising Concerns

While progress has been made in reducing several traditional heart disease risks, the study found that obesity and elevated fasting blood sugar have become much larger contributors to heart disease deaths since 1990.

The burden of heart disease linked to high body mass index (BMI)—a measure that estimates body fat based on height and weight—increased by more than 54 percent. The impact of high fasting blood glucose, which often reflects diabetes or prediabetes, increased by nearly 39 percent.

These trends likely reflect the growing prevalence of obesity and Type 2 diabetes in the United States.

Progress in Other Areas

Not all trends moved in the wrong direction. The researchers found substantial declines in heart disease deaths linked to smoking and exposure to fine-particle air pollution. Smoking-related heart disease mortality fell by about one-third, while deaths associated with particulate air pollution dropped by nearly 75 percent.

These improvements reflect decades of public health efforts, including tobacco control policies and cleaner air standards.

What the Findings Mean

The authors say the study underscores that preventing heart disease still depends largely on controlling well-known risk factors.

Keeping blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar under control, maintaining a healthy weight, eating a balanced diet, staying physically active and avoiding tobacco remain among the most effective ways to lower the risk of heart disease.

The researchers also note that an aging and growing U.S. population has increased the total number of heart disease deaths, even as age-adjusted death rates have declined. This means continued efforts to prevent obesity, diabetes and other cardiovascular risk factors will be essential to further reduce heart disease deaths in the years ahead.

Even Losing Just Over an Hour of Sleep a Night May Lead to Weight Gain, Study Finds

A new study from researchers at Columbia University suggests that consistently getting less sleep—even by a little more than an hour each night—may contribute to weight gain and a more sedentary lifestyle over time.

The findings, published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, found that adults who reduced their sleep by about 80 minutes per night for six weeks gained an average of one pound and spent more time being physically inactive. The results add to growing evidence that healthy sleep is an important part of maintaining a healthy weight and reducing the risk of chronic diseases.

Small Sleep Losses Can Add Up

Many previous studies on sleep and weight focused on severe sleep deprivation, often limiting participants to only four hours of sleep per night. While those studies showed changes in appetite and overeating, they reflected conditions that most people could not sustain.

The new research instead examined a more realistic pattern of sleep loss experienced by many adults.

Researchers enrolled 95 adults who normally slept seven to eight hours per night. During one six-week phase, participants delayed their bedtime by about 90 minutes while maintaining their normal wake-up time. During another six-week period, they followed their usual sleep schedule.

Throughout the study, participants wore wrist monitors to track their sleep and physical activity. Researchers also measured body weight, waist size, body composition and fasting hormone levels that help regulate hunger and fullness.

One Pound in Six Weeks

Participants gained an average of one pound during the period of shortened sleep.

Although one pound may seem modest, researchers noted that the weight gain occurred over only six weeks.

If similar sleep habits continued over many months, the cumulative weight gain could become clinically significant. Adults often gain weight gradually throughout life, increasing their risk for obesity and related health conditions.

Obesity is a major risk factor for heart disease, type 2 diabetes and several other chronic illnesses.

Less Sleep Also Meant Less Movement

The study found that participants became more sedentary when they slept less.

On average, they spent about 17 additional minutes each day being inactive during the sleep-restriction phase. Men and postmenopausal women showed even larger increases, approaching 30 extra minutes of sedentary time daily.

Sedentary behavior refers to activities that involve little physical movement, such as sitting or reclining for extended periods. Spending too much time inactive has been linked to higher risks of cardiovascular disease, diabetes and other chronic health problems.

Researchers noted that participants remained more inactive even after accounting for the additional time they were awake.

Sleep May Affect More Than Weight

The new findings build on earlier studies involving many of the same participants.

Previous research found that mild sleep restriction increased insulin resistance, a condition in which the body's cells become less responsive to insulin, making it harder to control blood sugar levels. Insulin resistance is a major risk factor for type 2 diabetes, with particularly strong effects observed in postmenopausal women.

Another related study found that people with elevated cardiovascular risk developed increased inflammatory cells in the heart after several weeks of mild sleep restriction. Inflammation is part of the body's immune response, but persistent inflammation may contribute to heart disease.

Together, the findings suggest that regularly getting too little sleep may affect multiple aspects of health beyond simply feeling tired.

Healthy Sleep Is Part of a Healthy Lifestyle

Researchers say the study reinforces the importance of viewing sleep as a key pillar of overall health, alongside nutritious eating and regular physical activity.

Many adults routinely sleep only five or six hours each night. This study suggests that even modest, long-term sleep loss may gradually increase the risk of weight gain and conditions such as obesity, type 2 diabetes and heart disease.

Future research will explore whether improving sleep habits can help reverse these health risks and support better long-term metabolic and cardiovascular health.

Gum Disease May Play a Role in Heart Valve Disease, Early Study Suggests

Good oral hygiene has long been associated with better overall health. Now, new preliminary research suggests that bacteria responsible for gum disease may also contribute to a serious heart valve condition known as calcific aortic valve stenosis (CAVS).

The study, presented at the American Heart Association's Basic Cardiovascular Sciences Scientific Sessions 2026, found evidence that Porphyromonas gingivalis—a bacterium commonly linked to advanced gum disease—may promote inflammation and calcium buildup in the heart's aortic valve. However, the findings are considered preliminary because they were presented as a scientific abstract and have not yet undergone peer review or been published in a medical journal.

What Is Aortic Valve Stenosis?

The aortic valve controls blood flow from the heart to the rest of the body. In people with calcific aortic valve stenosis, the valve gradually becomes thicker and stiff due to calcium deposits, making it harder for blood to pass through.

The condition often develops slowly and may not cause symptoms at first. As it progresses, it can lead to fatigue, chest pain, shortness of breath, fainting, heart failure and, in severe cases, premature death. Currently, there are no medications proven to prevent or slow the disease. Once it becomes severe, the primary treatment is surgical or catheter-based replacement of the damaged valve.

How Gum Disease Could Affect the Heart

Researchers examined heart valve tissue removed during valve replacement surgery from people with CAVS and compared it with tissue from patients who had other valve diseases.

They discovered unexpectedly high levels of P. gingivalis in calcified aortic valves.

To better understand the connection, researchers conducted laboratory studies in mice. Animals repeatedly exposed to live P. gingivalis developed more calcium buildup in their aortic valves and signs of valve narrowing. Preventive antibiotic treatment reduced these effects.

The team also found that the bacteria activated an immune system protein that promotes inflammation. When researchers genetically disabled this inflammatory pathway in mice, valve calcification and disease symptoms were significantly reduced despite exposure to the bacteria.

More Research Is Needed

Although the findings suggest a possible biological link between gum disease and aortic valve disease, they do not prove that gum disease directly causes CAVS in people.

The researchers have already begun a clinical study to determine whether the same relationship exists in humans.

Protecting Your Oral and Heart Health

The findings reinforce growing evidence that oral health and cardiovascular health are closely connected. Previous studies have linked gum disease to chronic inflammation, hardened arteries and an increased risk of heart disease.

The key takeaway from the study is to take good care of your teeth and gums because good oral hygiene and treatment of periodontal disease are important for overall health, researchers emphasize.