Heart Disease Mortality on the Mississippi River

States bordering the lower Mississippi River have large Black populations totaling 1,996,897. In 2019, 7506 Blacks there died of heart disease. These four states have high heart disease death rates. This analysis examined geographic variation in heart disease to suggest populations to target for intervention and suggest hypotheses for future study.

Vital statistics data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention were examined for non-Hispanic Blacks aged 35 to 84 years in Arkansas, Tennessee, Louisiana, and Mississippi. "Diseases of Heart" in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's 113 cause list was selected. Combined data from 1999-2019 were examined by state and county/parish. Numbers and age-adjusted mortality rates (AAMRs) were shown in the tables, charts, and maps. AAMRs based on fewer than 50 deaths were not reported.

The number of deaths in 2019 follows: Arkansas 871, Louisiana 2762, Mississippi 1940, and Tennessee 1933. AAMR per 100,000 were Arkansas 392, Louisiana 374, Mississippi 357, Tennessee 354. In 1999-2019, AAMR varied threefold among counties. The county with the highest AAMR was Franklin Parish, Louisiana (736). Next were Desha County, Arkansas (672), Webster County, Mississippi (669), Madison Parish, Louisiana (660), and Hardin County, Tennessee (637). The lowest rate was in Lincoln Parish, Louisiana (258), preceded by St. Helena Parish, Louisiana (275), Saline County, Arkansas (277), Conway County, Arkansas (292), and Pontotoc County, Mississippi (303). AAMR were generally high in the Mississippi Delta region of Mississippi, Louisiana, and Arkansas. Racial disparity was greater in women than men and declined during the period in women but not in men.

County AAMR varied threefold in states along the lower Mississippi. These counties should be targeted with culturally appropriate interventions to reduce heart disease deaths. Further research should evaluate the social determinants of health that cause this geographic variation in mortality.