heart disease key facts People with heart disease are at the highest risk of developing arrhythmias, so reducing heart disease is key to reducing arrhythmia. In 1999, heart disease accounted for 30 percent of all deaths in the U.S., which is more than 725,000 people.1 The first leading cause of death in people 65 years and over was diseases of the heart (ICD Codes-I00-I09, I11, I13, I20-I51). It is the second leading cause of death in 45-64 year olds. 2 Death rates for blacks from heart disease were 29 percent higher than for whites. 3 Death rates for men from heart disease were 49 percent higher than for women. 4 An estimated 101 million Americans have cholesterol levels of 200 milligrams per deciliter or higher, which puts them at increased risk for heart disease. 5 Mississippi, West Virginia, Oklahoma, Kentucky, and Louisiana have the highest rates of death from diseases of the heart. 6 1The Burden of Chronic Diseases and Their Risk Factors: National and State Perspectives 2002. 2National Vital Statistics Report, Vol. 49, No. 12, October 9, 2001. 3The Burden of Chronic Diseases and Their Risk Factors: National and State Perspectives 2002. 4The Burden of Chronic Diseases and Their Risk Factors: National and State Perspectives 2002. 5The Burden of Chronic Diseases and Their Risk Factors: National and State Perspectives 2002. 6The Burden of Chronic Diseases and Their Risk Factors: National and State Perspectives 2002.