there may be non dietary reasons for the increase in heart disease (as in the increase in Alzheimers).

We are living longer due to immunizations, improved medical care especially in response to childbirth and accidents, antibiotics, and other factors.

We are therefore living long enough now to die in larger percentages from the progressive diseases such as heart disease.

How many people who died in the flu epidemic during WWI would have died of heart disease had they lived longer?  How many women who died in childbirth would have died of heart disease had they lived longer?  How many infants lost to childhood diseases like measles would have died of heart disease if they had lived to old age?  Most women even survive breast cancer now.

We are all going to die.  Yes, we would prefer not to die of something that is at least theoretically preventable like heart disease.  My grandfather died of heart disease at the age of 69.  A paleo diet probably would have prevented or at least postponed that.  His wife, my grandmother, (who ate the same unhealthy diet) died of heart disease at the age of 91.  I doubt anything would have made a difference there.  We will all die of something.  And most of us will die of progressive diseases at an old age.

Kathleen