Relationship of Neighborhood Greenness to Heart Disease in 249 405 US Medicare Beneficiaries.

Background Nature exposures may be associated with reduced risk of heart disease. The present study examines the relationship between objective measures of neighborhood greenness (vegetative presence) and 4 heart disease diagnoses (acute myocardial infarction, ischemic heart disease, heart failure, and atrial fibrillation) in a population-based sample of Medicare beneficiaries. Methods and Results The sample included 249 405 Medicare beneficiaries aged 65 years and older whose location ( ZIP +4) in Miami-Dade County, Florida, did not change from 2010 to 2011.