Women with Heart Disease: The Most Diagnosed States

March 26, 2013, 8:01 PM UTC

By Cynthia Ramnarace

When it comes to heart disease, the #1 killer of women in America, we can all learn something from Utah. Women here have the lowest rate of heart disease and high blood pressure in the country. And they’re second only to Minnesota for the lowest rate of high cholesterol among women. Colorado women are also taking care of their tickers, ranking among the top five healthiest states in all three categories.

For some Southern states, it’s a completely different story. Women in West Virginia and Kentucky aren’t faring well when it comes to heart disease, high blood pressure and high cholesterol. They are in the bottom five—as in among the five least heart healthy states for women. Mississippi women have the highest high cholesterol and blood pressure in the country. Louisiana women also need to take control of their heart health. They are among the states with the highest rates of heart disease and high blood pressure.

Why this is is so critically important? High cholesterol increases your risk of heart disease, heart attack and stroke. High blood pressure is considered a “silent killer” because it has no symptoms yet can damage your arteries and lead to a heart attack, stroke, kidney damage, vision and memory, fluid in the lungs, angina or peripheral artery disease. And when plaque builds up in your arteries, the resulting heart disease puts you at increased risk of a heart attack. Smoking, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, lack of physical activity and being overweight all increase a woman’s heart disease risk.

Another scary fact: Heart disease is deadlier than all forms of cancer, says The American Heart Association.

Here’s how the states rank when it comes to the percentage of women with high cholesterol, high blood pressure and heart disease. Remember, #1 is the healthiest state, while #50 is the least healthy.

Heart Disease

Rank	State	%
1	Utah	1.8
2	Alaska	1.9
2	Hawaii	1.9
4	Colorado	2
5	New Hampshire	2.2
6	Connecticut	2.3
6	Montana	2.3
8	Maryland	2.5
8	New Mexico	2.5
8	North Dakota	2.5
11	Georgia	2.6
12	Arizona	2.7
12	Idaho	2.7
12	Oregon	2.7
12	Washington	2.7
12	Wyoming	2.7
17	California	2.8
17	Minnesota	2.8
17	New Jersey	2.8
17	Vermont	2.8
17	Virginia	2.8
22	Delaware	2.9
22	Iowa	2.9
22	Massachusetts	2.9
22	Nebraska	2.9
26	South Dakota	3
27	Illinois	3.2
27	Kansas	3.2
27	Texas	3.2
27	Wisconsin	3.2
31	Missouri	3.3
31	Nevada	3.3
31	New York	3.3
31	Ohio	3.3
35	Florida	3.4
35	North Carolina	3.4
35	Rhode Island	3.4
38	Mississippi	3.5
38	South Carolina	3.5
40	Indiana	3.6
40	Maine	3.6
42	Alabama	3.7
43	Arkansas	3.8
43	Pennsylvania	3.8
45	Michigan	3.9
46	Tennessee	4.2
47	Oklahoma	4.3
48	Louisiana	4.4
49	Kentucky	5.1
50	West Virginia	6.5

Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevenetion, 2009

High Cholesterol

Rank	State	%
1	Minnesota	31.4
2	Utah	31.6
3	Tennessee	31.9
4	Massachusetts	32.4
5	Colorado	33
6	Oregon	33.6
7	Vermont	33.7
7	Virginia	33.7
9	Alaska	33.8
10	New Mexico	33.9
11	Rhode Island	34
12	California	34
12	North Dakota	34
14	New Jersey	34.3
15	Connecticut	34.4
16	Maryland	34.5
17	Georgia	34.7
17	South Dakota	34.7
17	Wisconsin	34.7
20	Montana	35
21	Nebraska	35.3
22	Nevada	35.6
23	Iowa	35.7
24	Maine	36.1
25	Idaho	36.2
25	Illinois	36.2
27	Hawaii	36.3
28	Wyoming	36.4
29	Michigan	36.5
30	Washington	36.6
31	Louisiana	36.7
32	Ohio	36.8
33	Delaware	36.9
34	Missouri	37.1
35	Arizona	37.4
35	Kansas	37.4
35	New Hampshire	37.4
38	Arkansas	37.9
38	Pennsylvania	37.9
40	Florida	38
41	New York	38.5
41	North Carolina	38.5
43	Texas	38.7
44	Alabama	39
45	Indiana	39.1
46	Oklahoma	39.3
47	West Virginia	39.6
48	South Carolina	39.9
49	Kentucky	41
50	Mississippi	41.2

Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2009

High Blood Pressure

Rank	State	%
1	Utah	20.3
2	Colorado	20.7
3	Minnesota	21
4	Wyoming	23.7
5	Arizona	24.2
6	Idaho	25.2
7	Vermont	24.4
8	California	24.7
8	Massachusetts	24.7
8	Oregon	24.7
11	New Mexico	24.9
12	Alaska	25.1
13	Nevada	25.2
14	Nebraska	25.3
15	Montana	25.7
16	North Dakota	25.8
16	Virginia	25.8
16	Washington	25.8
19	Connecticut	25.9
20	New Hampshire	26.1
21	Iowa	27.2
21	New Jersey	27.2
23	Delaware	27.5
24	New York	27.6
25	Michigan	27.8
26	Illinois	28.1
27	Maryland	28.2
28	Kansas	28.4
29	Rhode Island	28.6
29	South Dakota	28.6
29	Wisconsin	28.6
32	Maine	28.7
33	Texas	29.4
34	Indiana	29.6
35	Hawaii	30.1
35	Missouri	30.1
37	Georgia	30.2
38	Ohio	30.4
39	Florida	30.5
40	Pennsylvania	30.6
41	North Carolina	31.4
42	South Carolina	31.7
43	Arkansas	32.4
44	Tennessee	33.5
45	Oklahoma	33.8
46	Kentucky	34.8
47	Louisiana	35.5
48	West Virginia	36.3
49	Alabama	36.6
50	Mississippi	38.9

Source: Centers for Disease Control, and Prevention 2009

See the State of Women methodology and sources.

A version of this story originally appeared on iVillage.