Inside the 'Stroke Belt' where your ZIP code determines your health

When your ZIP code is a better determinant of your health than your DNA

What you probably already know: There’s a region of the South U.S. that health care researchers refer to as the “Stroke Belt” because of the high rates of diseases like obesity, high blood pressure and diabetes. These areas are also where large numbers of hospitals and clinics have closed or are about to close, pharmacies have shut their doors and you can drive for miles without seeing a grocery store. These are just a few of the factors that contribute to health outcomes for the residents of this area, which are the worst in the country.

Why? The New York Times took a look at one area of Belzoni, Mississippi and focused in on a 30-year-old Black woman who was eight months pregnant when she died of pre-eclampsia on the side of the road as her husband was driving her 30 miles to the nearest hospital. The baby died as well. She was just days from a planned cesarean section. In the U.S., pregnant women of color die at a rate of nearly three times that of pregnant white women. Mississippi has the lowest life expectancy in the country and the worst maternal and infant mortality rates.

What it means: The American Heart Association has started adding ZIP codes to its list of health factors when considering a patient’s risk of cardiovascular disease. It’s less about a person’s race, studies show, as it is about the social determinants and segregation that have forced many people of color into areas where health care is limited, good food is hard to come by, and medications can be difficult to obtain.

What happens now? The NYTimes story is worth a read. It’s angering to see how much the socioeconomic situation in this area contributes to the high death rates of its residents, from gang-related violence to teen pregnancy to the stress and anxiety many people experience. There are 35 rural hospitals in Mississippi at risk of closing, and more than 700 nation-wide, as financial pressure mounts. The closures will only result in even worse health outcomes for its residents. Mississippi is also one of 11 states that have not expanded Medicaid to cover all low-income residents, something that could save some of these rural health care services.

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