evidence: Cardiovascular deaths saw steep rise in U.S. during first year of the COVID-19 pandemic [...] The first year of the COVID-19 pandemic saw a steep rise in cardiovascular disease deaths in the U.S., with especially high mortality rates for Asian, Black and Hispanic people, according to a new statistical report from the American Heart Association. [...] The statistical update highlights the many ways COVID-19 impacts cardiovascular health, including its relationship to risk factors for heart disease and stroke. Factors such as obesity, diabetes and high blood pressure put people at higher risk for more severe COVID-19 illness.