A recent study presented at the American College of Cardiology’s Annual Scientific Session reveals that maternal mortality due to cardiovascular disease has more than doubled in the United States between 1999 and 2022. This alarming trend is particularly pronounced among Black women and those living in Southern states. Researchers analyzed data from the CDC’s Wide-ranging Online Data for Epidemiologic Research (CDC WONDER) database, finding that the rate increased from 3.6 per million in 1999 to a peak of 10.5 per million in 2021, before slightly declining to 9.1 per million in 2022.
Dr. Mohammad Ahabab Hossain, the study’s lead author, emphasizes the need for urgent action to address these disparities. He points out that Black women experienced a maternal mortality rate of 21.9 per million from 2018 to 2022, approximately three times higher than the rate observed among white women. The study also highlights the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, which exacerbated these disparities due to limited access to prenatal care and hesitancy to visit medical clinics.
Geographically, maternal mortality was highest in the South, with a rate of 12.1 per million, compared to the lowest rate of 5.4 per million in the West. Dr. Hossain calls for increased attention to vulnerable populations, specifically Black women, to reverse this troubling trend. He stresses that the United States, as a global leader in health and medicine, must prioritize the prevention of maternal deaths, particularly those caused by cardiovascular disease.
See: “Maternal Mortality Due to Cardiovascular Disease More Than Doubles in the US” (March 25, 2025)