While most of the high-prevalence counties are concentrated in the South, chronic conditions are trending up across the nation.
Calcium, a leading digital health, and analytics company, has published a study of the counties in the U.S. with the highest prevalence of chronic health conditions. The report, along with an infographic map is available for free on the Calcium Info blog.
In addition to reviewing counties for overall chronic conditions, the study also analyzed the counties that rank highest in prevalence for specific chronic conditions, such as heart disease, diabetes, obesity, hypertension, chronic kidney disease and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). On the plus side, the report also lists the counties with the lowest prevalence of chronic diseases.
Using data compiled by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Calcium team analyzed the results by counties and created a map of the counties with the highest prevalence. For all chronic diseases combined, six of the ten counties with the highest prevalence rates were in Kentucky and Louisiana:
- Harlan County, Kentucky – 66.2% of population
- Humphreys County, Mississippi – 65.0% of population
- East Carroll Parish, Louisiana – 64.8% of population
- Tensas Parish, Louisiana – 64.8% of population
- Logan County, Wyoming – 64.6% of population
- Jefferson County, Mississippi – 64.3% of population
- Letcher County, Kentucky – 64.2% of population
- McCreary County, Kentucky – 64.1% of population
- McDowell County, Wyoming – 63.7% of population
- Sharkey County, Mississippi – 63.3% of population
With chronic heart disease, the counties with the highest prevalence of heart disease were led by (1) McDowell County, Wyoming, (2) Tensas Parish, Louisiana, and (3) La Paz County, Arizona.
McDowell County also led the list of counties with the highest prevalence of COPD, followed by Wolfe and Harlan Counties, Kentucky.
When focusing on diabetes, Greene County, Alabama, topped the list of counties with the highest prevalence, followed by Tensas Parish, Louisiana, and Jefferson County, Mississippi.
In addition to being the top 3 for chronic heart disease and diabetes, Tensas Parish also topped the list of counties with the highest prevalence of chronic kidney disease, followed by Clay County, Georgia, and Presidio County, Texas.
When it comes to the counties with the lowest prevalence of chronic diseases, the state of Colorado is setting the standard with five of the ten healthiest counties. Boulder County topped the nationwide list, followed by San Francisco County, California, and Teton County, Wyoming.
To learn more about the study and download the map and infographic, please visit the Counties Where Chronic Diseases Are Most Prevalent in the U.S. article.
