The decline in premature cardiac deaths is stalling as disparities persist

The rate of premature cardiac deaths — defined as between age 35 and 74 — has been dropping for 20 years, but the decline has slowed since 2010 while racial disparities and sex differences persist. A new study shows men were more than twice as likely as women to die and Black people were more than three three times as likely to die as Asians or Pacific Islanders, with the rate for white people in the middle. Out-of-hospital deaths inched up to 61.5% from 58.3%. That’s notable because only 5% of people stricken with cardiac arrest outside the hospital survive. Also of concern: The death rates fell less among 35- to 44-year-olds compared to people 65 to 74 years old.