These are the Top 10 causes of death in Tarrant County. No. 1 remains unchanged
Heart disease remains the leading cause of death in Tarrant County, although deaths decreased in 2023 compared to previous years, according to new data.
The Tarrant County data mirrors national trends. Across the U.S., heart disease and stroke account for a quarter of all deaths, according to a new report from the American Heart Association.
“A person dies almost every 30 seconds of cardiovascular disease,” said Dr. Anas Alomar, a member of the American Heart Association’s Tarrant County Board of Directors. “That’s shocking.”
Alomar added that what was particularly shocking about the latest numbers was how many of these deaths were preventable.
Heart disease has long been the leading killer of Tarrant County residents and Americans more broadly, despite many improvements in how heart disease is treated, said Alomar, an interventional cardiologist and president-elect of the medical staff at Methodist Southlake Medical Center.
Among those to benefit from the improved treatment of heart attacks was Chase Spangler of Springtown. He survived a “widowmaker” heart attack six months ago. Spangler woke up his wife in the middle of the night when he started breathing unusually. Spangler’s wife called 911 and began CPR, and Spangler was airlifted from Springtown to Texas Health Fort Worth hospital, where he had triple bypass surgery.
Spangler, 27, said his doctors told him later that he had a 98% blockage in his left ventricle artery.
“By the grace of God and my wife being there is the only reason I’m still here today,” he said.
Spangler said he wanted to share his stories particularly to inform other people with Type 1 diabetes, like himself, that they have an increased risk of cardiovascular disease.
Doctors emphasized that it’s far preferable to prevent heart disease than to treat it. The American Heart Association estimates that 80% of heart disease and stroke cases are preventable with lifestyle changes.
People “think that heart disease is a problem once you get older and nothing can be farther from the truth,” said Dr. Sreenivas Gudimetla, a cardiologist with Texas Health Fort Worth. “We don’t do enough early in our lives to prevent heart disease with healthy lifestyles.”
Gudimetla said the basics of prevention are still the same: If you’re smoking, quit smoking. Eat a heart healthy diet. And get at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise per week.
There are thousands of Americans at risk for heart disease, Gudimetla and Alomar said. About half of the U.S. population has high blood pressure.
Another major improvement in heart health is the decline of smoking among Americans, although the American Heart Association cautioned that e-cigarette usage is increasing among young Americans.
