We've mined the data, which relates to heart-related hospital admissions and deaths from 2012 to 2016, to find the best and worst habits of each shire in our region.

Bega

A quarter of the people living in Bega Valley are over 65, compared to a 15 per cent national average. Residents are less likely to have an internet connection and more likely to have dropped out of school before completing year 10.

Bega Valley residents take some risks with their heart health - they are more likely to smoke, have high cholesterol, be obese and not get enough exercise than the national average - but are less likely to be admitted to hospital for a heart condition. The mortality rate for heart disease in the Bega Valley is the same as the national average (68 per 100,000 persons).

Maybe the secret is the laid back lifestyle - just 14 per cent of Bega Valley residents have high blood pressure, while the national average is 23 per cent.

Eurobodalla

Eurobodalla Shire residents are less likely to go to hospital for a heart condition, but more more likely to be killed by one than the national average, according to a report form the Heart Foundation.

The mortality rate for heart disease in the shire is 77 per 100,000 people, compared to a national average of 68 per 100,000.

Hospital admissions are at 47 per 10,000 people, compared to a national average of 48 per 10,000 people.

Eurobodalla Shire residents are almost twice as likely to be over 65, compared to the national average, according to the Heart Foundation report.

29.4 per cent of residents are over 65, compared with a national average of 14.2 per cent.

Age may not necessarily equate to wisdom, with 23 per cent of the regions population smoking, compared to a national average of 16 per cent.

For other heart disease risk factors, such as obesity, insufficient exercise and high cholesterol, the shire is within two per cent of the national average, although high blood pressure is five per cent less common.

Snowy Monaro

Residents of the Snowy Monaro Regional Council area are significantly less likely than the national average to attend hospital for heart-related issues, with the admission rate 45 per 10,000 people, compared to the national average of 48.

Snowy-Monaro's heart-related hospital admissions also sit below the state average of 47 and the Capital region average of 51 per 10,000 people

Heart disease mortality is also below the national average with a rate of 63 people per 100,000, compared to 68 Australia-wide.

When looking at heart disease risk factors, the local government area's population is in line with the national averages - on all except one.

Of the estimated 20,617 residents, 35 per cent are considered obese. That figure is significantly higher than the national average prevalence of obesity of 28 per cent.

This is National Heart Week, which focuses on encouraging more people to understand the risk factors for heart disease and take steps to reduce them.

Find out more via the Heart Foundation website.

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