Shows that Cleveland, Columbus and Cincinnati are among the 10 worst metropolitan areas in America when it comes to women’s heart health.

The worst piece of news in the Heart Friendly Cities survey? Women in Cleveland and its suburbs have a higher body mass index - that’s a measure of how fat we are - than women in any other of America’s 200 major metropolitan areas.

We also have high rates of diabetes, high blood pressure and deaths from heart disease.

However, there are eight other cities worse off than we are when it comes to women’s heart health. And one of them is Pittsburgh.

The rankings were compiled for the American Heart Association by Sperling’s Best Places, which calculates the best places to live, work and retire in America.

They’re based on 22 factors, including how much women weigh, smoke, eat and exercise.

Also figured into the equation: the percentage of women who die of heart disease.

The heart-healthiest metro area was Minneapolis-St. Paul, followed by Washington, San Francisco and Denver.

The least heart-healthy place for women?

Nashville, Tenn. But St. Louis, Detroit and Pittsburgh weren’t far behind.

Sixth worst was Columbus, followed by Cincinnati.

“A call to action,” is what J.D. Sidley calls the report.

“Heart disease, unfortunately, kills more women than the next five causes of death combined, including cancer,” said Sidley, communications director for the American Heart Association’s Cleveland office.

He has advice for all of us:

Eat a healthy diet, exercise regularly and keep blood pressure, cholesterol, glucose and weight in the healthy range for starters. More pointers for women are listed on the Heart Association Web site www.goredforwomen.org.

“It’s not just knowing them,” Sidley said. “It’s doing them.

“That’s the key.”

To reach this Plain Dealer reporter:
cleveland.com
216-999-4987