Where you live can impact risk for heart disease

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- Heart disease is the number one cause of death in both men and women and a new report shows where you live can impact your level of risk for the disease.

The study was done over 26 years. It looked at all the different states and the number of deaths due to heart disease in each area.

In the Philadelphia region, we saw a significant improvement, but other areas - mostly in the South and Gulf states - are lagging behind.

And overall, men seem to be doing better than women when it comes to preventing deaths due to heart disease.

The researchers looked at causes and say about 80 percent of heart disease can be attributed to lifestyle.

Healthier habits help lower your risk, so does getting regular check-ups, and you should know your risk factors so you can control them.

"Knowing your numbers like blood pressure, your weight, your fasting glucose, your cholesterol, not smoking, leading a sedentary life, having a healthy weight - these are really important and simple things we can do," said Dr. Leslie Cho, cardiologist at the Cleveland Clinic.

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