Twin Cities top heart-friendly city

DALLAS, May 19 (UPI) -- Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, Minn., is the top heart-friendly city and Nashville the least heart-friendly, American Heart Association officials say.

The study, conducted by Sperling's BestPlaces, lists the nation's 10 most- and least-heart friendly cities for women analyzed 22 factors for each location, including cardiac mortality rates for women, smoking, hypertension rates, obesity, cardiac mortality rate and regular exercise amongst women.

Nashville finished at the bottom of the rankings with high obesity and smoking rates.

The study's other heart-friendly cities are: Washington, D.C.-Arlington-Alexandria, Va.; San Francisco-San Jose-Oakland, Calif.; Denver-Aurora, Colo.; Boston-Cambridge-Quincy, Mass.; Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, Wash.; Portland-Vancouver-Beaverton, Ore.; San Diego-Carlsbad-San Marcos, Calif.; Los Angeles-Long Beach-Santa Ana, Calif.; and Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, Ariz.

The other least heart-friendly cities are: St. Louis; Detroit-Warren-Livonia, Mich.; Pittsburgh; Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, Texas.; Columbus; Cincinnati-Middletown, Ohio; Las Vegas-Paradise, Nev.; Cleveland-Elyria-Mentor, Ohio; and Indianapolis.

Regardless of where activity falls on the list, cardiovascular disease is the top killer of women in all 50 states -- killing about 460,000 women nationwide per year, or roughly one woman per minute.

However, heart disease is largely preventable by eating a heart-friendly diet, regular physical activity, and tracking blood pressure, cholesterol, glucose and weight, American Heart Association officials say.