Heart, Vein Disease Deaths High in 25 to 44-Year-Olds

An ambulance outside the Bellville Medical Center after dropping off a patient, in Bellville, Texas, on Sept. 1, 2021. Francois Picard/AFP via Getty Images

Diseases of the heart and veins claimed more lives over the past several years among American aged 25 to 44 than before the COVID-19 pandemic. Even with the pandemic waning, such deaths remain elevated.

In 2020, the first year of the pandemic, deaths caused by circulatory diseases increased by about 15 percent in the 25 to 44 age group compared to the year before, according to death certificate data collected by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).