How do heart disease and cancer death rates compare in US adults aged 45 to 64?

Heart disease and cancer are the top two causes of death for adults in the United States between ages 45 and 64. Data from 1999 to 2018 show that heart disease remains the number one cause of death in this age group, followed closely by cancer ⁴. While other conditions like COVID-19 have appeared on the list of top causes, they have not surpassed these two in overall frequency for this specific demographic ⁵.

What the research says

A report covering the years 1999 through 2018 specifically tracked death rates for men and women aged 45 to 64. It found that heart disease consistently held the top position for mortality in this age bracket, with cancer following as the second leading cause ⁴. This pattern holds true even when looking at broader national data where heart disease and cancer are the primary drivers of mortality in middle adulthood ⁵.

Research also highlights that for people who have survived cancer, heart disease becomes an even more significant threat. In breast cancer patients, heart disease surpassed the original cancer diagnosis as the leading cause of death after more than 10 years of follow-up ⁸. Among all cancer survivors studied, 11.3% died from cardiovascular diseases, and 76.3% of those cardiovascular deaths were due to heart disease specifically ⁷. This suggests that while cancer is a major killer, heart disease poses a persistent and often higher risk for long-term survivors in this age group.

What to ask your doctor

• How does my personal risk for heart disease compare to my risk for cancer given my age and history?
• What lifestyle changes can help lower my risk for both heart disease and cancer simultaneously?
• Are there specific screenings I should have for heart disease if I have a history of cancer?
• How can I manage my heart health to prevent it from becoming a leading cause of death for me in the future?