Here's Where Massachusetts Ranks For Heart Health

MASSACHUSETTS — Massachusetts ranked second among states with the best heart health, according to Forbes Health.

Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention noted that heart-disease-related deaths reached 928,741 in 2020, exceeding the previous high of 910,000 in 2003.

With that in mind, Forbes Health collected data across each state to find those with the healthiest and least healthy hearts.

The study analyzed 16 data points spanning two core categories: lifestyle factors and the prevalence of heart conditions.

Lifestyle factors include those like the number of people exercising at least once a month, the prevalence of heavy drinking, obesity rates, smoking, and more. The prevalence of heart conditions includes factors like the rate of heart disease mortality, rate of stroke mortality, rate of hypertension (high blood pressure), percentage of residents with high cholesterol, and others.

Massachusetts ranked highly for individual metrics such as the lowest stroke mortality rate and the second-lowest smoking prevalence, a known contributor to heart health. Overall, Massachusetts scored 99 out of 100 in the rankings, according to data collected by Forbes Health.

The top 5 states for heart health were:

1. Colorado
2. Massachusetts
3. New Hampshire
4. Utah
5. Connecticut

The top 5 states with the unhealthiest hearts were:

1. Arkansas
2. Mississippi
3. Tennessee
4. Louisiana
5. West Virginia

Check out the full list at Forbes Health.