Posted at 3:50 p.m., Wednesday, June 20, 2001

Isle men rate high for heart health

Advertiser Staff and News Services

Men in Hawai'i are less likely to die of heart disease than in most other parts of the country, according to a study released today.

The study of men age 35 and older found that those most likely to die from heart disease lived in regions with high unemployment and low-paying jobs, such as West Virginia, Mississippi and Kentucky — underscoring the impact of social and economic factors.

Men least likely to die from heart disease lived in Hawai'i, Utah and Colorado.

"These findings really reflect differences in opportunities for healthy living," said Elizabeth Barnett, director of the Office for Social Environmental and Health Research at West Virginia University and lead author of the study.

Social and economic factors often determine wheth-

er a person is able to exercise or eat healthy, she said.

Dr. Fredric Pashkow, medical director of the Heart Institute at Queen's Medical Center, called the statistical differences between Hawai'i and the rest of the nation significant.

The state has a fairly large population that is physically active, he noted.