A list revealed Monday by the American Heart Association indicated that many Midwestern and Southern cities, including Cleveland, don't fair too well in terms of heart health for women. Meanwhile, the top heart healthiest places in the US for women were found to be in Minneapolis, Washington DC, and San Francisco.

The top ten most heart healthy US metropolitan areas for women were clearly dominated by western cities. The Midwest and South stood out as trouble spots, with Nashville, St. Louis and Detroit being named the least heart-friendly metro areas for women.

Dr. Jennifer Mieres, a spokeswoman for the AHA and director of nuclear cardiology at the New York University of Medicine, said, "It's fair to say that if you live in the least heart-healthy cities, there's a chance that you'll have a high (likelihood) of heart disease and stroke and may have a shortened lifespan."

The AHA's "Go Red For Women" campaign comissioned Sperlings BestPlaces to conduct the study, which included an analysis of 22 factors affecting women's heart health. These included rates of cardiovascular mortality, exercise, smoking, and high blood pressure. They also looked at other factors such as the number of people who commute by bicycle or on foot, and stress levels. 200 of the largest metrpolitan areas in the country were included in the review.

Heart disease is by far the leading killer of American women, and it is estimated that 1/3 of women suffer from heart problems.

According to the study, the most heart-friendly metro areas for women are:

1. Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, Minn.
2. Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, District of Columbia
3. San Francisco-San Jose-Oakland, Calif.
4. Denver-Aurora, Colo.
5. Boston-Cambridge-Quincy, Mass.
6. Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, Wash.
7. Portland-Vancouver-Beaverton, Ore.
8. San Diego-Carlsbad-San Marcos, Calif.
9. Los Angeles-Long Beach-Santa Ana, Calif.
10. Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, Ariz.

Women in Boston, Minneapolis-St. Paul, and Phoenix were found to have the lowest heart-disease mortality rates for women. Women from Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Denver were found to be the thinnest.

Women in San Francisco, Sacramento, and Los Angeles smoke the least, and those in San Diego, Washington D.C., and San Francisco are the healthiest eaters.

The least heart-friendly metro areas for women were found to be:

1. Nashville-Davidson-Murfreesboro, Tenn.
2. St. Louis, Mo.
3. Detroit-Warren-Livonia, Mich.
4. Pittsburgh, Pa.
5. Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, Texas
6. Columbus, Ohio
7. Cincinnati-Middletown, Ohio
8. Las Vegas-Paradise, Nev.
9. Cleveland-Elyria-Mentor, Ohio
10. Indianapolis, Ind.

The most overweight women in the country were found to be in San Antonio, TX, Cleveland, OH, and Columbus, OH. The most female smokers are found in Indianapolis, Cincinnati, and Nashville, and the worst eaters are in Kansas City, Milwaukee, and St. Louis.