North Carolina- in the Buckle of the Stroke Belt

The Stroke Belt is a group of 8-12 states in the Southeastern US that have a substantially higher stroke mortality rate than the national average.

North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia comprise the Buckle of the Stroke Belt . Areas of these states have stroke mortality rates that are up to 3 times the national average.

US Stroke Mortality Rates (1991-1998, Adults Age 35 Years and Older) by County (Source:www.cdc.gov)

*Stroke death rates are spatially smoothed to enhance the stability of rates in counties with small populations.
Source: Atlas of Stroke Mortality: Racial, Ethnic, and Geographic Disparities in the United States , January 2003.

US Heart Disease Death Rates ( 1996-2000, Adults Age 35 Years and Older) by County (Source:www.cdc.gov)