Some Surprisingly Good Health News You Might Have Missed

According to the CDC, six of the top 10 causes of death in the United States  which together account for about three-quarters of all deaths  have been on the decline. That’s no small feat, especially considering we have an aging population and an ongoing obesity epidemic.

Let’s take a closer look.

Six encouraging health trends

Here’s what’s been happening:

1.Heart disease (#1) and stroke (#5)

Between 2000 and 2014, deaths from cardiovascular disease dropped by about 36%. The decline for heart disease has continued beyond 2014, and stroke-related deaths  after plateauing  fell again by 1.3% between 2017 and 2018.

2. Cancer (#2)

The cancer death rate dropped by 2% from 2017 to 2018, and over the past 25 years, it’s down a remarkable 29%.

3. Unintentional injuries (#3) and chronic lower respiratory diseases (#4)

Both categories  which include things like drug overdoses, emphysema, and asthma  saw a nearly 3% drop from 2017 to 2018.

4. Alzheimer’s disease (#6)

Even though more people are developing Alzheimer’s, deaths from it fell by 1.6%.

The cholesterol connection

Here’s another win: our national cholesterol profile is improving. Back in 1999, about 18% of Americans had high total cholesterol; by 2018, that number had dropped to just 10.5%. Low HDL (“good”) cholesterol also fell from 22% to 16% over the same period.

Since high cholesterol is a risk factor for heart disease, these shifts might help explain the steady decline in cardiovascular deaths.

Fewer smokers, too

Smoking rates are at an all-time low. In 2017, only 14% of adults smoked cigarettes  down from nearly 21% in 2006. That drop means fewer cases of lung cancer, chronic lung disease, and heart disease in the years to come.

Of course, the rise of vaping complicates the picture. Some former smokers have switched to e-cigarettes, and many teens and young adults are vaping without ever having smoked. While we don’t yet fully understand vaping’s long-term risks, it’s something to watch.

Life expectancy: a small but hopeful bump

After several years of decline (due largely to suicide and drug overdoses), US life expectancy inched up from 78.6 years in 2017 to 78.7 years in 2018. It’s a modest improvement  but after years of downward movement, even a small rise is worth noting.

The caveats we can’t ignore

It’s important to be honest:

These numbers are from before the COVID-19 pandemic.

Health gains are not equally shared by people in poverty and certain racial and ethnic groups haven’t experienced the same level of improvement.

Causes like influenza and pneumonia, suicide, diabetes, and kidney disease aren’t declining.

And while longevity matters, quality of life and freedom from disability are just as important.

The bottom line

The progress is real, and it’s worth celebrating. But it’s also fragile. The hope now is to keep pushing forward  to make these gains bigger, faster, and more equitable so everyone benefits.

In a year when the news cycle can feel heavy, it’s worth pausing to acknowledge: not all the headlines are bad. Some of them tell a quiet story of lives saved, years gained, and healthier futures ahead.