CHD mortality (ICD 410-414, 4292.2) has a strong correlation with the educational attainment (Pearson correlation coefficient = 0.81, p<0.001: Spearman's rho = 0.81, p<0.001).

CHD risk factors are generally inversely related to measures of socioeconomic status especially education. Therefore, we have hypothesized that states with higher mortality from CHD among men aged 35-44 would most likely include more individuals who are less educated. We examined the association of the race-specific data on not-a-high-school graduate in the largest 25 states with CHD mortality among black and white men aged 35-44 by state. Because the variable on socioeconomic status is not sex- and age-specific, there are limitations in evaluating the relation.