The phone research asked those over 18-years-old if a doctor had
ever told them they had experienced a heart attack or stroke, or
if they had been diagnosed with Chronic Heart Disease. Data was
also collected on age, ethnicity, sex, education and geographic
location. Because the 10 states deemed the "worst" risk were
almost entirely in the southeastern United States, some dubbed
this region the "Heart Attack Belt." The northeastern and
western parts of the country were at the top of the healthiest
list. In its Healthy People and Healthy Places Initiative, the
CDC identified some factors in regional differences health
differences such as: - Socioeconomic status - Access to services
- Discrimination by social grouping (e.g., race, gender or
class) - Social or environmental stressors While some risk-
increasing factors such as genetics, environmental pollutants
and access to services are difficult to control, others can be
changed. Health officials and organizations around the country
are working to improve Ameri