(SeaPRwire) –   Cardiovascular disease has been the leading cause of death in the U.S. for over a century. Yet the past 100 years have also brought extraordinary medical advances—life-saving devices like stents, implantable cardiac defibrillators, and heart pumps, along with breakthrough medications—that have transformed our ability to treat this condition. Today, we understand more clearly than ever the importance of nutrition, physical activity, and sleep for cardiovascular health. But in 2024, over 900,000 Americans died from cardiovascular disease—more than the combined number of deaths from cancer and accidents. 

So why aren’t we able to prevent cardiovascular disease more effectively?

The evidence behind what causes most cardiovascular disease today is extremely clear. A recent 2025 study co-authored by my colleagues and me found that over 99% of people who experienced a heart attack, stroke, or heart failure had at least one cardiovascular risk factor in the years prior. These results leave no doubt: unlike many other diseases, cardiovascular disease is preventable. But we continue to fail at identifying and treating risk factors early—such as hypertension, high cholesterol, diabetes, chronic kidney disease, and tobacco use. 

The risk of developing most cardiovascular diseases builds over years, often decades. Yet we still seem caught off guard when these events occur; they’re frequently viewed as sudden or unexpected.

What if we could predict the likelihood of a cardiovascular event years or even decades in advance? In fact, we can—today’s science, data, and tools make this possible. A few years ago, my colleagues and I led an initiative for the American Heart Association to develop the Predicting Risk of Cardiovascular Disease EVENTs (PREVENT) equations, a new calculator released in 2023 to estimate cardiovascular disease risk. The PREVENT equations can predict a person’s chance of having a heart attack, stroke, or heart failure over the next 10 or 30 years. This calculator is now endorsed by the latest national guidelines for cholesterol and blood pressure management from the American Heart Association, American College of Cardiology, and collaborating societies, which recommend clinicians use it for patients aged 30 to 79 to assess their cardiovascular disease risk.

However, procrastination is part of human nature, and our cardiovascular health is no exception. It’s easy to see heart health as a problem to handle later—especially since we’re talking about preventing something that might happen years or decades down the line. 

Compounding the issue is that many leading risk factors already present today are often silent. You might not even know your blood pressure is high, your glucose levels are abnormal, or your cholesterol is elevated. But that doesn’t mean untreated issues aren’t causing damage to your blood vessels and heart over time. Just as you plan for retirement decades in advance, your health requires the same early, proactive investment.

Using the PREVENT calculator to measure your risk is a great first step, but protecting your heart doesn’t end there. Risk calculators aren’t perfect, and the PREVENT tool isn’t intended for people who already have heart disease. Your unique circumstances will guide next steps. For those with borderline or intermediate risk, imaging like a computed tomography (CT) scan to check for calcium in the arteries may be needed. Doctors may also pay closer attention to heart health in specific life stages for women, such as during and after pregnancy or menopause. Genetic testing based on family history can also help physicians.

Once you have a better understanding of your risk, you can work with your doctor or clinician to create an action plan to modify your risk and prevent cardiovascular disease. This could include dietary changes, a new exercise routine, or medications like cholesterol-lowering statins. Finally, focusing on heart health is a lifelong activity—you should continue monitoring your cardiovascular health regardless of your risk level. To help with this, the American Heart Association created the My Life Check tool, which lets you assess your health habits and get tips for improvement.

But we must also acknowledge the hard truth: sometimes, the risk of developing cardiovascular disease isn’t entirely within an individual’s control. A person’s risk is influenced by far more than their biology, including their surrounding environment. Access to healthy food, safe spaces to exercise, time for physical activity, and affordable healthcare are critical. Preventing cardiovascular disease isn’t just an individual responsibility—it’s a collective societal obligation that requires us to work together to build systems and policies that address these barriers.

We need to stop treating cardiovascular disease as unexpected or inevitable. It’s predictable and preventable, and the science is unambiguous. But we’re waiting too long and falling behind. Recent projections suggest that if current trends continue, over 40 million Americans will be living with cardiovascular disease by 2050. 

To succeed, we must shift our mindset from reactive—waiting to rescue people after a cardiovascular event—to proactive, prioritizing the prevention of cardiovascular disease before it ever occurs.