Heart disease deaths declined in US overall but Increased in some areas

According to new research published in the Amercian Heart Association's journal Circulation, deaths from heart disease have declined in the U.S. overall lately. However, certain areas have seen less improvement than others.

Previous research from the AHA discovered that deaths caused by cardiovascular disease dropped by nearly 29 percent from 2003 to 2013.

Still, around 610,000 people are killed by heart disease in the U.S every year, accounting for 25% of every death, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The study researched mortality data from residents 35 years and older in more than 3,000 counties between 1973 and 2010.

In the 1970's researchers discovered that the largest concentration of counties with high heart disease related death rates was in the Northeast, Midwest and Appalachia regions of the country as well as along coastal areas in North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia.

"Despite the overall decline in heart disease death rates, heart disease remains the leading cause of death in the United States, as well as one of the most widespread and costly health problems facing the nation," Michele Casper, Ph.D., the study's lead author and an epidemiologist at the CDC's Division for Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention, said in a statement.

"The consistent progression southward over the past few decades suggests that the pattern is not random - and could be attributed to geographic differences in prevention and treatment opportunities," Casper added.

"Identifying those counties and regions with the greatest burden of mortality is a necessary first step to target appropriate resources that will ultimately reduce death rates," Casper addressed.

Americans can keep their heart healthy  by eating a healthy diet, exercising regularly and quit smoking. But, Casper added, they also need help in doing those things.

However, the study didn't figure out the reasons underneath the death rate disparities, researchers say the findings may suggest regional changes in conditions that influence heart disease death rates.