According to the researchers, well-being is a “comprehensive and proven indicator that consists of a successful career, social connections, financial security, relationships with society, and good physical health.”

The cross-sectional study took data from the Gallup National Health and Well-Being Index (WBI), a survey instrument that asks Americans about five elements of their well-being (career, social relationships, financial security, community relationships, and physical health). . For this study, scientists examined survey data from 514,971 people in 3,228 US counties collected from 2015 to 2017.

The researchers then analyzed these findings against county-level CVD mortality rates. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)2 Atlas of heart diseases and stroke3.

The researchers took into account structural and health factors that may affect the risk of cardiovascular disease mortality, such as income inequality, education, unemployment, and other diseases such as diabetes and hypertension, to accurately measure the value of population well-being.

Analyzing the numbers, they found that cardiovascular mortality fell from an average of 499.7 deaths per 100,000 people to 438.6 deaths per 100,000 people in countries that had the highest levels of welfare. Rates of stroke, heart failure, coronary heart disease, heart attack and death from all cardiovascular diseases have decreased as people become more well-off, the study found.