United States
Leading cause: Heart Disease · 27% plant-based · 78.5 yr life expectancy · UHC 88/100
What People Eat
Heart disease kills 1 American every 34 seconds. Standard American Diet (SAD) is only ~15% whole plant foods.
Disease Burden
Leading cause of death: Heart Disease · 168 / 100k
Bars show each rate against the global range; the tick marks the world median.
Heart disease (168/100k) and cancer (154/100k) together dominate American mortality, and diabetes (25/100k) and kidney disease are unusually high for a wealthy nation. The US spends far more per person on health than any country on Earth yet trails its peers on life expectancy, a gap driven by diet, obesity, and a food supply built on ultra-processed products and added sugar (~14% of calories).
Healthcare System
Sources: WHO UHC Service Coverage Index (SDG 3.8.1) & WHO Global Health Expenditure Database. Latest available year.
What Could Improve
- Shift the plate toward whole plant foods, the Standard American Diet is only about 15% whole plants; even modest increases in legumes, whole grains, and vegetables track with lower CVD.
- Cut added sugar and ultra-processed foods, the largest single dietary driver of the diabetes and obesity burden.
- Treat prevention, not procedures, as the lever: the US already spends the most, so the unmet opportunity is dietary, not medical.
Explore the evidence: Heart Disease
AHA Heart Disease & Stroke Statistics · 2023 Update
→ #1 cause of death since 1910 · $363B annual cost