Analysis reveals the US states with the best AND worst heart health based on 16 metrics… can you guess which state scored ZERO out of 100?

Residents of The Centennial State may hold the secret to a long and healthy life.

A new analysis found that Coloradans topped the list of people with the best heart health, as the state has the lowest obesity rate in the U.S. and ranks first for the most physically active people.

It also has the fewest number of residents with high blood pressure – a risk factor for heart disease – and the lowest death rate from heart disease.

The Forbes Health analysis found that Colorado had a perfect heart health score of 100, based on 16 health and lifestyle factors, including diet, smoking, drinking, exercise, sleep and hours worked.

At the bottom of the list was Arkansas, the state with the unhealthiest hearts – with a score of zero. This is where most Americans live who smoke every day, and there are sky-high obesity rates.

Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States, killing 695,000 people and costing $240 billion a year – and nearly half of Americans are affected by some form of cardiovascular disease, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

For the analysis, Forbes analyzed data from multiple government and health databases for 16 metrics, including hours worked per month, fruit and vegetable consumption, sleep habits, alcohol consumption, smoking rates, obesity rates and death rates from stroke, high blood pressure and strokes . heart condition.

The survey included approximately 800 data points.

Colorado residents score high in heart health thanks to their diet: 81 percent of people in the state report consuming vegetables and light alcohol consumption at least once a day — only eight percent of residents say they drink heavily .

In addition, the state has the lowest percentage of people with high blood pressure (25 percent) and the fourth lowest number of deaths from heart disease.

Colorado is also home to the lowest percentage of people classified as obese: 25 percent, compared to the national average of 42 percent.

And it has the highest percentage of people who reported exercising at least once in the past month: 84 percent.

During the analysis, the link between physical activity and healthy hearts was observed.

Of the top 10 most active states, five are also among the top 10 overall heart-healthiest states.

And the top five most active were in the western United States, where there are less densely populated cities and residents have more access to outdoor activities.

The above shows the number of cardiovascular disease deaths by county in the United States from 2018 to 2020

Behind Colorado was Massachusetts with a score of 99, New Hampshire and Utah were tied with 96 points and Connecticut was close behind with a score of 94.

Massachusetts ranked high thanks to having the lowest number of people dying from stroke and the second-lowest prevalence of smoking, which is a known factor in causing heart disease.

New Hampshire residents can thank their vegetarian diet for their healthy hearts and balanced work schedule.

The state ranks fourth in terms of average hours worked per month (37), which can be used as an indicator of stress levels.

The state also has the lowest number of deaths from high blood pressure in the country.

Utah residents’ active lifestyles and the highest percentage of people who have never smoked helped the state with its high score. Residents there also ranked third in terms of people who reported being heavy drinkers.

Connecticut’s score could be due to having the fifth-lowest number of deaths from stroke and heart disease.

The last place with a score of zero was Arkansas.

The state scored poorly because it has the highest death rate from coronary heart disease and the second highest number of residents who smoke every day.

Following Arkansas were four other Southern states: Mississippi scored three points, Tennessee had seven, Louisiana was ranked with a score of 10, and West Virginia was 46th of the 50 states with a score of 13.

Mississippi followed because of the lowest percentage of residents who exercise and the second highest death rate from cardiovascular disease in the US.

Tennessee earned only seven points because Tennesseans work the third-highest number of hours per month (42) and the third-highest number of people who smoke every day.

Louisiana ranked 47th for its residents’ unhealthy diets, with the second-lowest number of people consuming fruit every day and the lowest percentage of people eating vegetables every day.

West Virginia rounds out the bottom five because it has the second-highest number of people with high cholesterol and the second-highest death rate from coronary heart disease.

Some form of cardiovascular disease affects about half of Americans: about 127 million people.

Risk factors include obesity, high cholesterol, diabetes, high blood pressure, a sedentary lifestyle, poor diet and family history of heart disease.