Chicago-area somewhat heart-friendly

No, we're not No. 1, but local women can take heart -- the Chicago area scored in the middle of the pack in a national survey of cardiac health.

The study of heart-friendly cities ranked the region 15th out of 38 urban centers in America.

This is the first time the American Heart Association has conducted the study. Researchers hope to call attention to heart disease, considered the No. 1 killer of women in the country.

So where's the best place for heart-friendly living? Minneapolis-St. Paul came out on top of 38 metropolitan areas with a population of 1.45 million or more.

The association also named heart-unfriendly environs, giving the lead to Nashville and its surrounding suburbs.

As for Chicago's score, it's encouraging, but "there are a lot more things that can and should be done" to make the community healthier, said Sandra Burke, a member of the American Heart Association's Midwest Affiliate board of directors.

The major contributors to cardiac problems are obesity, lack of physical activity, smoking, poor diet, stress and not keeping track of blood pressure and cholesterol levels, experts say.

"Healthy eating is something Chicago needs to work on harder. People need a balanced diet -- less Kentucky Fried Chicken and McDonald's and more salads," said Burke, who is a retired director of cardiovascular research at Abbott.

But the region boosted its score with initiatives such as no-smoking laws in public places, a high number of cardiologists, and the fact women here appear to exercise regularly, which cuts down on obesity, the association explained.

While poverty can contribute to poor diet and limited food choices, there's numerous low-cost ways to reduce the danger of heart disease, such as regular walks and relaxation.

"Stress is a tremendous factor," said Burke, who lives in Libertyville. "But if you just take 15 minutes to go into the bedroom and relax your mind, it will make a difference."

The heart association is embarking on a "Go Red For Women" campaign that focuses on the issue of female cardiovascular disease, which affects one in three women and kills about 460,000 a year.

To come up with the rankings, researchers looked at factors such as obesity, deaths from heart disease and smoking levels.

The Washington D.C., area came in second for heart-friendliness, followed by San Francisco.

Trailing Nashville, Tenn., for least heart-friendly were St. Louis in second and Detroit in third.

For more information and tips on staying well, visit www.GoRedForWomen.org.