South Korea: 60 deaths per 100,000. United States: 135. Americans die from cardiovascular disease at more than double the rate of the healthiest nations. Same human bodies. Same basic biology. Vastly different outcomes. The gap represents roughly 225,000 American lives lost every year that didn't have to be.
How Does US Heart Disease Compare to Other Countries?
The WHO tracks cardiovascular death rates across 194 countries. In 2021, the US ranked behind every wealthy peer nation. South Korea improved 68% since 2000. The United States? Just 34%. We made progress, but our peers made more. The result: a gap that widens every year between what's possible and what Americans actually experience.
Why Is Heart Disease So High in America Despite Healthcare Spending?
The primary reason why heart disease is so high in America despite our spending is simple: we prioritize costly treatment over affordable prevention. America excels at treating heart attacks after they happen. But that $4 trillion flows to emergency rooms, ICU stays, and chronic medication management rather than catching problems early. By the time most Americans see a cardiologist, the damage is already done.
Why Does South Korea Have Lower Heart Disease Than America?
Diet, exercise, and obesity explain most of the gap. South Korea's obesity rate is 5%. America's is 42%. That's not a small difference. It's a different world. Cardiovascular disease is multifactorial, and Americans are losing on nearly every factor simultaneously: ultra-processed food, sedentary lifestyles, and fragmented access to preventive care. The countries beating us have made the healthy choice the default choice.
How Did South Korea Cut Heart Disease Deaths by 68%?
South Korea didn't achieve their reduction through miracle drugs. They achieved it through national health screening programs that catch hypertension early, mandatory workplace health checks, and dietary guidelines integrated into schools. The blueprint exists. The US could implement similar systems tomorrow. The gap isn't destiny. It's a policy choice we make every year.
The gap between leaders and laggards isn't a death sentence for Americans. It's a measure of unrealized potential. Every country that dramatically cut cardiovascular deaths did it through prevention, not miracles. When we finally decide that keeping hearts healthy matters as much as fixing broken ones, the US can close that gap. The data shows it's possible.