Tens of thousands of premature deaths could be prevented each year

By Kate Bass, B.Sc.May 2 2014

Heart disease, cancer, chronic lower respiratory diseases, stroke, and unintentional injuries cause nearly 900,000 premature deaths in the US each year. A recent study showed that 20–40% of deaths from each of these causes could be prevented.

The study, conducted by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), analyzed deaths before age 80 years from each cause between 2008 and 2010 in each US state. The authors then calculated how many deaths from each cause would have been prevented if the lowest death rates were applied to all states. They found that the reduction in premature deaths from each cause was :

• 34% (approximately 92,000 individuals) for heart disease
• 21% (approximately 84,500 individuals) for cancer
• 39%(approximately 37,000 individuals) for unintentional injuries
• 39% (approximately 29,000 individuals) for chronic lower respiratory diseases
• 33% (approximately 17,000 individuals) for stroke.

Tom Frieden director of the US public health agency comments “With programs such as the CDC’s Million Hearts initiative, we are working hard to prevent many of these premature deaths.”

Personal behaviour is largely responsible for each of the five leading cause of death. Consequently, the risk of death from these causes can be reduced by lifestyle changes. These modifiable risk factors include:

• For heart disease, tobacco use, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, type 2 diabetes, poor diet, being overweight, and lack of physical activity.
• For cancer, tobacco use, poor diet, lack of physical activity, being overweight, excessive sun exposure, alcohol, certain chemicals.
• For chronic respiratory disease, tobacco smoke, air pollutants (both indoor and outdoor), allergens, and exposure to occupational agents.
• For stroke risk, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, heart disease, being overweight, tobacco use, alcohol use, and lack of physical activity.
• For unintentional injury, not using seatbelt, not wearing motorcycle helmet, unsafe consumer products, alcohol use, drug misuse, exposure to hazards at home and at work.

Study author Harold W. Jaffe explains ”We think that this report can help states set goals for preventing premature death from the conditions that account for the majority of deaths in the United States...Achieving these goals could prolong the lives of tens of thousands of Americans.”

States with higher rates can look to states with lower death rates to see what they could do differently to reduce premature deaths from leading causes.