Heart disease leading cause of death in New Hampshire

Statistics released for 2018 show that heart disease was the leading cause of death in New Hampshire, the first time in over a decade that it surpassed cancer, state health officials said Monday.

More than 2,600 New Hampshire residents died from heart disease that year, the state Department of Health and Human Services said.

Nationally, heart disease is the leading cause of death for men and women. About 647,000 Americans die from heart disease each year, accounting for one in every four deaths. High blood pressure, high cholesterol, and smoking are major risk factors for heart disease.