CDC Heart Disease Hospitalizations Atlas Shows Wide Disparities

The American Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)has just released an atlas of hospitalizations for heart disease.  It shows wide diparities in ethnic backgrounds and geographic locations.  For instance, the highest hospitalization rates were in Louisiana and Hawaii had half that rate.

By inference, the atlas points out that 'have-not' states suffer higher rates of serious heart disease.  Heart disease is the United States' leading cause of death and is preventable or slowed in many cases with education and access to medical expertise in early stages.
While heart disease and 'heart attacks' may seem like a personal problem affecting the victim and their family, it places a huge financial burden on the U.S. economy as well.  The CDC has estimated the loss to the U.S. economy in 2010 will be over $300 billion.  Improving the delivery of education and preventative services to those most in need looks to be a sound financial decision.