There are numerous posts on X that claim heart disease deaths went up after 1900 due to a dietary change from the use of butter and lard to the use of seed oils.
The primary reason for the change in heart disease deaths since 1900 is
- primarily due to a sharp reduction in child mortality
- a sharp reduction in deaths due to infectious diseases.
- a sharp drop in accidental related deaths
- many people died before the age where heart attacks and cardiac arrest commonly occur (average of 66 for males and 72 for females today). People didn’t live long enough to die of heart disease.[1]
- today the global risk of dying of heart disease is down 75% from what it was in 1950 (OurWorldInData) or 60% reduction (CDC, due to measuring slightly different items)
- heart disease did not increase – everything else went down, causing it to rise to #1.
- heart disease became the #1 cause of death in about 1930
- since the 1960s, mortality has been cut in half, due to (eventually) rapid patient transport to cath labs, angioplasty/stents, a huge reduction in smoking, far better recognition and management of diabetes and BP.
This had nothing to do with seed oils or lard or butter
Here is an AI generated explanation
In 1900, the leading causes of death in the United States were primarily infectious diseases. Pneumonia and influenza, tuberculosis, and gastrointestinal infections were among the top killers, along with diphtheria as the 10th leading cause.
In 1930, the leading causes of death began to shift, with infectious diseases still significant but showing a decline. Heart disease and cancer were on the rise, and pneumonia and influenza remained important but were no longer the top causes
Today, the leading causes of death have shifted dramatically to chronic diseases including heart disease, cancer, and stroke as the top causes, with Alzheimer’s and chronic lower respiratory diseases also high on the list
This shift reflects the impact of public health improvements, vaccinations, and medical advances that have reduced the burden of infectious diseases.
Footnotes
[1] Average life expectancy in 1900 was 47, rising to 51 by 1920, and 59 by 1930, then 79 years old in 2025.
