Heart disease mortality rates among middle - aged adults in the US have increased while cancer deaths have fallen , according to a US government report . The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said that while heart disease - related deaths fell 22 % between 1999 and 2011 , they rose 4 % in the subsequent six years . Meanwhile , cancer deaths among those aged 45 - 65 had fallen 19 % in the same period . Cancer deaths among middle-aged adults are falling in the United States, but heart disease deaths have increased in recent years, a new federal government report released Thursday finds. White women accounted for the largest increase in deaths from heart disease , at 12 % , while Hispanic women saw a fall in mortality . The highest death rates were among black men and women .
Heart disease mortality rates among middle - aged adults in the US have increased while cancer deaths have fallen , according to a US government report . The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said that while heart disease - related deaths fell 22 % between 1999 and 2011 , they rose 4 % in the subsequent six years . Meanwhile , cancer deaths among those aged 45 - 65 had fallen 19 % in the same period . White women accounted for the largest increase in deaths from heart disease , at 12 % , while Hispanic women saw a fall in mortality . The highest death rates were among black men and women .