The news never stops telling us everything is falling apart, but the latest data says the exact opposite — at least when it comes to preventable deaths.
On this episode of “Stu Does America,” Stu Burguiere dives into five sets of federal numbers that prove America is quietly winning on life-and-death issues.
1. The US mortality rate is the lowest it has been since 2020, with COVID no longer a leading cause
According to the CDC’s latest provisional data, the 2024 mortality rate “was 3.8% lower than in 2023 and was the lowest death rate since 2020.”
Further, for the first time since the virus’ emergence, COVID was not one of the top 10 leading causes of death.
“This is going to disappoint the Taylor Lorenzes of the world, who want to still wear masks outdoors right now, but COVID is pretty much off the map,” says Stu.
2. Deaths related to heart attacks have plummeted
Research conducted by Stanford Medicine and published in the Journal of the American Heart Association indicates that over the last five decades, there has been a substantial decline in deaths from heart attacks.
The study concluded that since 1970, age-adjusted heart attack deaths have decreased by nearly 90%, while deaths from heart disease are down roughly 66%.
Although chronic heart conditions have risen alongside obesity and diabetes, these drops still reflect major progress in preventing and treating sudden heart attacks.
“Deaths from other types of heart disease … increased by 81% in the United States according to the study, so there are still issues, and that has a lot to do with us becoming fat fat fatties,” Stu jokes.
3. Drug overdose death have declined
A recent CDC report revealed that deaths from drug overdose have declined nearly 24% in the 12 months ending September 2024, compared to the previous year.
Stu displays the following chart to give a visual of this significant improvement in deaths from drug overdose, which skyrocketed during the 2020 COVID pandemic and remained high until last year.
“We’re not back down quite to the pre-COVID levels, but we are approaching that, which is a real positive,” he says.
4. US mass killings are the lowest they’ve been since 2006
Based on the latest data from the Associated Press and USA Today Mass Killing Database, which tracks incidents in which four or more people are killed (excluding the perpetrator) within a 24-hour period, there have been just 17 mass killings in the U.S. this year — the lowest annual total since the database began in 2006.
While one mass killing is too many, the dip indicates that we are thankfully beginning to return from “big COVID/Biden-era peaks,” says Stu.
“We’re going in the right direction.”
5. Teen suicide is declining
Recent federal data from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration and the CDC reveals a decline in teen suicidal thoughts and behaviors. The 2024 National Survey on Drug Use and Health — an annual federal survey of over 70,000 people ages 12 and older that tracks mental health, substance use, and related trends — shows positive shifts among adolescents (ages 12-17) between 2021 and 2024, following pandemic-era spikes.
Serious suicidal thoughts in adolescents fell from 13% in 2021 to 10% by 2024. Further, suicide attempts in this age group dropped from 3.6% to 2.7%.
“Obviously, all way, way too high, but a good decrease,” says Stu.
All in all, Stu is encouraged by these statistics.
“This is really, really good news. … It is important to every once in a while note the fact that not everything sucks,” he says.
To hear more, watch the episode above.
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