California is known for its beaches, Hollywood style, and healthy living. As the fifth largest economy in the world, California also has one of the highest life expectancies in the United States, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Even though California has a relatively low death rate from heart disease compared to other states, heart disease is still its leading cause of death.
In 2022, the CDC reported that California had a heart disease death rate of 142.4 people per 100,000. Across the United States, the heart disease death rate is 210.9 per 100,000 people. The lower mortality rate from heart disease in California could be attributed to several risk factors. (Read what you can do to decrease your risk of heart disease.) According to the American Heart Association, California has fewer smokers and fewer people who are overweight or obese compared to the U.S. average. A higher percentage of the California population also get the recommended 150 minutes of exercise per week. If you live in California, you know its residents are diverse. The rates of heart disease also differ across various demographics.
Demographic differences in heart disease in California
Heart disease refers to a group of conditions affecting the heart and circulatory system, and these conditions can develop from plaque buildup in the arteries that affect blood flow. The most common type of heart disease is coronary heart disease, where the arteries to the heart become narrow due to plaque buildup. A heart attack occurs if plaque breaks off and forms a clot in an artery. This clot blocks the flow of blood to the heart. A stroke can result if a blood clot or ruptured blood vessel cuts off blood flow to the brain.
According to the California Department of Public Health, almost 6% of California’s population had some form of heart disease between 2015 and 2019. More men than women had any heart disease, and they also differed in rates of heart attack, angina, and coronary heart disease. People with Asian/Pacific Islander ethnicities had the lowest rate of heart disease, while those who identified as white had the highest heart disease prevalence.
What’s concerning is the income gap in the rates of heart disease. California residents who earned less than $25,000 a year had the highest prevalence of heart disease. The rates of heart disease declined with each increase in income bracket. People with a college education also had lower rates of heart disease compared to those with less education.
Heart disease risk factors in California
Even though California has fewer smokers and people with obesity compared to the rest of the United States, these risk factors still exist for people in California. Among people who have heart disease, more than half of them are smokers, and more than 70% are overweight. Type 2 diabetes is often associated with blood sugar, but it’s also a risk factor for heart disease. Almost 32% of people with heart disease also have type 2 diabetes. Compare that with the 8.4% of people who don’t have heart disease but have type 2 diabetes.
High blood pressure and high cholesterol continue to be two strong predictors of heart disease. In California, more than 68% of people with heart disease also have high blood pressure, while just over 25% of people who don’t have heart disease have high blood pressure. High cholesterol is also more common in people with heart disease in California, accounting for more than 60% of people with heart disease. In people who don’t have heart disease, a little more than 30% of them have high cholesterol.