Heart disease, the No. 1 killer of women, may hit closer to home than many realize. The American Heart Association’s Go Red For Women movement.... Heart disease, the No. 1 killer of women, may hit closer to home than many realize. The American Heart Association’s Go Red For Women movement recently released a study, conducted by Sperling’s BestPlaces, revealing the nation’s top 10 most – and least – heart friendly cities for women. Minneapolis-St. Paul took the title of Most Heart Friendly city for women with the lowest cardiac
mortality rate for women, low hypertension rates and highest exercise rates. Nashville, on the other hand, finished at the bottom of the rankings with high obesity and smoking rates.

Based on the heart friendly benefits cities have to offer their residents and the personal lifestyle choices of its residents, Go Red For Women and BestPlaces found the following Heart Friendly rankings:

Most Heart friendly Cities for Women
1. Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN
2. Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC
3. San Francisco-San Jose-Oakland, CA
4. Denver-Aurora, CO
5. Boston-Cambridge-Quincy, MA
6. Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA
7. Portland-Vancouver-Beaverton, OR
8. San Diego-Carlsbad-San Marcos, CA
9. Los Angeles-Long Beach-Santa Ana, CA
10. Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, AZ

Least Heart friendly Cities for Women
1. Nashville-Davidson, TN
2. St. Louis, MO
3. Detroit-Warren-Livonia, MI
4. Pittsburgh, PA
5. Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX
6. Columbus, OH
7. Cincinnati-Middletown, OH
8. Las Vegas-Paradise, NV
9. Cleveland-Elyria-Mentor, OH
10. Indianapolis, IN

Fast Facts:
• Minneapolis-St. Paul, Boston and Phoenix reported the lowest female cardiac mortality rates in the
country; Detroit, Nashville and St. Louis reported the highest.
• San Francisco, Denver and Los Angeles were the thinnest mega metros; Cleveland, San Antonio
and Columbus were among the most overweight.
• Surprisingly, our nation’s capital, Washington, D.C., reported the lowest stress ratings of all the mega
metros while Portland, OR reported the highest stress levels in the category.
• Generally, California and Colorado cities scored well in the Heart Friendly Cities study; the metros
that scored the lowest in the study were found in the South and Midwest.


Heart Friendly Tips… No Matter Where You Live
Regardless of where your city falls on the list, cardiovascular disease is the No. 1 killer of women in all 50 states. Living in a heart friendly city does not automatically make you heart healthy, and the reverse is also true. Whether you live in Denver or Detroit, your heart is in your hands. Heart disease is largely preventable if you work to lower your risks by making changes to your everyday lifestyle.