The Leading Cause Of Death In Florida Sadly Isn't Unique To Just The Sunshine State

A state's leading cause of death can be a little misleading. Take Florida, for instance. There, residents are more likely to die of heart disease as opposed to another condition, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). However, heart disease as a fatal condition is hardly unique to Floridians. In fact, heart disease is the number one cause of fatalities in numerous states (like Georgia, California, New York, and Wyoming) , and remains one of the three most fatal conditions affecting Americans, alongside cancer and accidents.

That's not the end of the story, either: Heart disease is also the leading cause of death outside of the United States. Statistics from the World Health Organization indicate that 13% of all fatalities around the world are due to heart disease, which means that heart disease edges out other conditions like chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and respiratory illnesses. Consequently, relocating to somewhere outside of the Sunshine State (or the United States) won't necessarily protect you from dying of heart disease.

But why is heart disease so prevalent nationally and around the globe in the first place? The American Heart Association (AHA) blames the high incidence of elevated blood pressure, obesity, and diabetes and prediabetes in the general population, at least in the United States.

High blood pressure (hypertension) results when the arteries within the vascular system have trouble efficiently pumping blood. Over time, the strains on them cause them to break down and, in some cases, lead to fatal cardiovascular events. There's an upside, though: When caught, high blood pressure can be treated with both behavioral modifications and, if necessary, medication. However, many people don't get medical help because they don't realize they have it, since high blood pressure causes no (or very few) symptoms.

The only way to find out if you have high or normal blood pressure is through a blood pressure reading. For adults, the target systolic blood pressure number should be less than 130 millimeters of mercury (mm Hg), and the target diastolic blood pressure number should be 80 mm Hg or less. Staying within those guidelines can reduce your risk of heart disease, regardless of where you live.

Like hypertension, obesity can put added pressure on the heart muscle in multiple ways. After all, carrying too much weight can lead to the development of other health problems.

As cardiologist Dr. Steven Nissen explained in a Cleveland Clinic interview, people who are overweight are more likely to experience high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and diabetes, all of which can lead to heart disease. That's why Dr. Nissen recommends losing weight for anyone dealing with obesity. "Even a modest amount of weight loss makes a big difference, including reducing your risk for diabetes and inflammation," he said. Diabetes can lead to cardiovascular system damage; having diabetes doubles a person's chances of having heart disease. Fortunately, prediabetes can be reversed. And, as with high blood pressure, diabetes can be managed to reduce heart disease risk.

Florida ranks high for two of the aforementioned three risk factors for heart disease. Per the CDC, high blood pressure is common in the southeastern part of the United States. Moreover, people across the southern states tend to have diabetes at higher rates than people living in other states (via the CDC).