Across the six high-income countries reviewed, the U.S. heart attack death rate was among the highest, even with adherence to recommended treatments and faring well on other measures.

Disruptive variants in genes involved in the production of collagen are implicated in spontaneous coronary artery dissection, a major cause of heart attacks in women under 50.

A Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center study showed dramatic drops in hospital visits for heart attacks and stroke, which likely led to uncounted deaths at home during the COVID crisis. Perhaps more troubling is the potential for long-term damage to decades’ work to catch conditions in their earliest, most treatable stages.