Heart disease death rates in the United States in 2021, by state

In 2021, the states with the highest death rates due to heart disease were Oklahoma, Mississippi, and Alabama. That year, there were around 264 deaths due to heart disease per 100,000 population in the state of Oklahoma. In comparison, the overall death rate from heart disease in the United States was 173.8 per 100,000 population.

The leading cause of death in the United States

Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States, accounting for 20 percent of all deaths in 2021. That year, cancer was the second leading cause of death followed by COVID-19 and unintentional injuries. In the United States, a person has a one in six chance of dying from heart disease. Death rates for heart disease are higher among men than women, but both have seen steady decreases in heart disease death rates since the 1950s.

What are risk factors for heart disease?

Although heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States, the risk of heart disease can be decreased by avoiding known risk factors. Some of the leading preventable risk factors for heart disease include smoking, heavy alcohol use, physical inactivity, an unhealthy diet, and being overweight or obese. It is no surprise that the states with the highest rates of death from heart disease are also the states with the highest rates of heart disease risk factors. For example, Oklahoma, the state with the highest heart disease death rate, is also the state with the third highest rate of obesity. Furthermore, Mississippi is the state with the highest levels of physical inactivity, and it has the second-highest heart disease death rate in the United States.