Tennessee ranks sixth in nation for heart disease risk

Health officials are shining a light on heart disease with Tennessee ranking as the state with the sixth highest heart disease mortality rate. New data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found heart disease is the leading contributing factor for death in most Americans and about 210 in every 100,000 Tennesseans dies from heart disease-related conditions. Additionally, the CDC data shows states in the Southeastern U.S. are disproportionately affected by heart disease mortality when compared to the rest of the country, eight of the top 10 states in the region. Medical officials said these states also have higher risks of associated conditions such as diabetes, high blood pressure, poor cholesterol levels, obesity, physical inactivity, and stroke. CDC officials encourage reducing the risk of heart disease by consulting with medical professionals, consuming healthy food and drinks, maintaining a healthy weight, staying active, not smoking, and managing risk factors.