Did you know that 6 out of 10 Americans have a chronic disease? If you are over 65, your odds of having more than one chronic disease rises. Chronic diseases are defined as conditions that last a year or more and require ongoing medical care. The top ten chronic diseases in the United States are: hypertension, high cholesterol, arthritis, heart disease, diabetes, kidney disease, heart failure, depression, Alzheimer’s, and pulmonary disease. Most of these conditions are caused by bad diets and lack of exercise. Some chronic illnesses, however, are the result of genetic or hereditary factors. These chronic disease conditions are expensive to treat and health care costs go up with each chronic disease a person has which is why the best prevention is trying to stay as healthy as possible. Diets with high protein, low sugar, and those that are full of good fats and good carbohydrates can help prevent these chronic diseases. Getting adequate sleep and exercise is also important. The team at HealthChampion put together this super data map of chronic disease prevalence across the US.
Analyzing data on rates of obesity, heart disease, COPD, diabetes, and chronic kidney disease from the CDC the team found which U.S. counties have the highest rates of chronic conditions. The counties with the highest chronic disease prevalence are below:
- Harlan County, KY: 66.2%
- Humphreys County, MS: 65.0%
- East Carroll Parish, LA: 64.8%
- Tensas Parish, LA: 64.8%
- Logan County, WV: 64.6%
- Jefferson County, MS: 64.3%
- Letcher County, KY: 64.2%
- McCreary County, KY: 64.1%
- McDowell County, WV: 63.7%
- Sharkey County, MS: 63.3%
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