Columbus, OH
Columbus men don’t die from what they have.
They die from what they hide.
The local numbers. What they mean. What to do next.
Columbus is a growing city with a robust academic medical center, yet the cardiovascular mortality in its east and southeast neighborhoods remains stubbornly high. Growth and prosperity do not automatically distribute preventive care — they require deliberate policy and outreach to make that happen.
Columbus by the numbers
Ohio's heart disease mortality rate is 211 per 100,000, placing it 8th highest in the nation
CDC WONDER 2022
Franklin County's hypertension prevalence exceeds 33% — and fewer than half with the diagnosis have adequate control
CDC BRFSS 2022
Black Columbus residents are hospitalized for heart failure at 2.3 times the rate of white residents
Ohio Department of Health 2022
Ohio ranks in the bottom third of states for hypertension control, with only 47% of hypertensive Ohioans achieving target blood pressure
CDC BRFSS 2022
Recent cardiovascular health coverage — Columbus
- Gum disease may be linked to plaque buildup in arteries, higher risk of major CVD events - www.heart.org
www.heart.org
- Ohio State Cardiologist Dr. Laxmi Mehta Prioritizes Women’s Heart Health - Columbus CEO
Columbus CEO
- My future felt uncertain, but I survived stroke. Women deserve heart care | Beatty - The Columbus Dispatch
The Columbus Dispatch
Headlines sourced at build time. Updated on each site deploy.
Major cardiac care institutions in or near Columbus
- The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center / Ross Heart Hospital
- OhioHealth Riverside Methodist Hospital
- Mount Carmel Health System (Columbus)
These institutions provide acute and specialist cardiac care. Preventive cardiology — the discipline that exists to stop you from needing acute care — is available through primary care referral at most of these centers, and through direct consultation at specialist practices throughout the region.
Frequently asked — Columbus
What are the biggest heart health risks for adults in Columbus, OH?
Columbus sits in a region with Ohio's heart disease mortality rate is 211 per 100,000, placing it 8th highest in the nation. The most actionable risks are uncontrolled hypertension, unscreened cholesterol, and delayed preventive care. Columbus is a growing city with a robust academic medical center, yet the cardiovascular mortality in its east and southeast neighborhoods remains stubbornly high. Growth and prosperity do not automatically distribute preventive care — they require deliberate policy and outreach to make that happen.
Where can I get a coronary artery calcium (CAC) scan in Columbus?
CAC scans are available at most major cardiac imaging centers and hospital radiology departments. In Columbus, institutions including The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center / Ross Heart Hospital typically offer this test. The scan costs $75–$150 out of pocket and takes about 15 minutes. Ask your primary care physician for a referral or call the radiology department directly.
How does Ohio's heart disease rate compare to the national average?
Franklin County's hypertension prevalence exceeds 33% — and fewer than half with the diagnosis have adequate control The national heart disease mortality rate is approximately 167 per 100,000 (CDC 2022). Prevention — specifically blood pressure control, lipid management, and non-smoking — remains the highest-yield intervention regardless of geography.
What should a man in his 40s in Columbus ask at his next physical?
Ask for: ApoB (not just LDL), a fasting insulin or HOMA-IR, Lp(a) once in your lifetime, a CAC scan if you have any risk factors, and a 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure reading if your clinic BP has ever been elevated. These five tests take one blood draw and one scan. They tell your cardiologist more than a standard panel by an order of magnitude.
Is heart disease preventable for adults in Columbus, OH?
Up to 80% of cardiovascular events are preventable with early identification and management of modifiable risk factors. Geography does not change the biology. Columbus is a growing city with a robust academic medical center, yet the cardiovascular mortality in its east and southeast neighborhoods remains stubbornly high. Growth and prosperity do not automatically distribute preventive care — they require deliberate policy and outreach to make that happen. The Signal Check exists to identify what your annual physical missed — it takes four minutes.
The clinical detail — from the Compendium
Your next step
Know your numbers before your city’s statistics apply to you.
The Signal Check takes four minutes. It identifies the gaps in your cardiovascular risk picture — the tests not ordered, the numbers not measured, the warning signs that look like something else. Authored by Dr. Job Mogire, MD, FACP, FACC.
Take the Signal CheckReviewed by Dr. Job Mogire, MD, FACP, FACC · Carle Foundation Hospital, Columbus region