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Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention

Top 10 Things to Know

Heart Disease and Stroke in South Carolina

  1. Heart disease and stroke are deadly – Heart disease and stroke accounted for 28% of all deaths in South Carolina in 2011.
  2. Heart disease and stroke are expensive – In 2011, heart disease was responsible for hospital charges totaling more than $2.74 billion in South Carolina. Hospital charges for stroke totaled more than $574 million in 2011.
  3. Cholesterol – An estimated 42% of S.C. adults have high cholesterol. High cholesterol contributes to over 4,000 deaths from heart disease in South Carolina each year.
  4. Diabetes – Overall, 1 in 8 S.C. adults has been told they have diabetes by a physician; 1 out of 6 black adults in S.C. has diabetes. 2 out of 3 people with diabetes die of heart disease or stroke.
  5. Physical Activity – 50% of S.C. adults do not get the recommended amount of physical activity. Physical inactivity contributes to 27% of deaths from heart disease annually.
  6. Healthy Diet – South Carolina adults eat a median of 1 serving of fruit and 1.43 servings of vegetables every day.
  7. High Blood Pressure – An estimated 1 in 3 S.C. adults has hypertension. High blood pressure contributes to 30% of heart disease deaths each year.
  8. Overweight & Obese – Overall, 2 out of 3 adults in South Carolina are overweight or obese; 75% of black adults in S.C. are overweight or obese. Being overweight contributes to 32% of heart disease deaths each year.
  9. Smoking – An estimated 1 out of 4 adults in South Carolina smokes. Cigarette smokers have a 70% greater chance of dying of heart disease than nonsmokers.
  10. Death rates are dropping, but blood pressure is rising – South Carolina has seen significant improvements in heart disease and stroke mortality since 2000. However, hypertension prevalence among S.C. adults has worsened, rising 30% from 1999 - 2009.

 

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