The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently released its annual preliminary report on the causes of death in the United States for 2010. The good news: life expectancy ticked up ever so slightly, from 78.6 years in 2009 to 78.7 years in 2010. May not seem like much, but life is precious, and even an extra 36 1/2 days, which is what that extra tenth means, is worth savoring, especially if we can enjoy that extra time in good health. The bad news from the report is that too many people are still dying from conditions that can be largely prevented or delayed through simple lifestyle changes. Here were the top 10 causes of death for all age groups in 2010, and how you can make simple changes in your lifestyle to extend your lifespan and not become a statistic on the CDC’s annual report … at least anytime soon.
1. Heart disease: Heart disease killed almost 600,000 Americans in 2010. It’s true some heart-related problems are hereditary, but the majority of coronary issues result from factors you can control. If you’re not exercising, you should be. No matter your age, it’s never too late to add some cardiovascular exercise, such as an exercise class, or brisk walking. Be sure to eat a healthy, low-fat diet, and get your cholesterol and blood pressure monitored on a regular basis.
2. Malignant neoplasms (cancer): As with heart disease, cancer is sometimes hereditary, caused by an abnormal gene that has been passed along. Breast and ovarian cancers are most likely to be “inherited.” There is no routine screening for ovarian cancer, unless one has a strong family history of breast cancer and has one of the BRCA genes (BRCA1 or 2). Individuals are tested for these genes if there is a strong family history with two to three family members with breast and/or ovarian cancer. They should not only have annual mammograms for life, but they may be eligible to have breast MRI tests if the breasts are overly dense, though insurance companies may try to avoid covering this service. These BRCA-positive individuals should also be tested for ovarian cancer with a screening CA-125 test and/or pelvic and transvaginal ultrasounds. Screening mammograms should be performed on women beginning at age 35 if there is a family history of a first-degree relative with breast cancer, or at age 40 for the general population. These should be repeated every year until approximately age 80 as well.
For individuals aged 50 to 80, screening for colon cancer includes a colonoscopy every 10 years, or every 3-5 years if abnormalities exist such as inflammatory bowel disease or pre-cancerous types of polyps, or if there is a family history of colon cancer. The imaging studies known as “virtual colonoscopies” are good at seeing polyps after the bowel prep, but then one must still undergo a colonoscopy to go in and remove the polyps, so this is not a good screening tool. A new fecal DNA test known as “hemosure” may be used between colonoscopies in high-risk patients, but there are no guidelines established for how frequently these should be done.
According to the American Cancer Society, only 5-10 percent of cancers are inherited. Yet many of the 573,855 deaths in the U.S. in 2010 could have been prevented. The American Cancer Society estimates that tobacco use results in 1 in 5 of all deaths in the United States each year. In addition to smoking, other high-risk factors for developing cancer include obesity, poor dietary habits, alcohol use, and a sedentary lifestyle.
3. Chronic lower respiratory diseases: This category primarily includes emphysema and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, more commonly known as COPD. Again, if you’re smoking, stop today. New smoking cessation measures include Chantix, which has proven to be very effective.
4. Cerebrovascular diseases (strokes):
Strokes can be a sudden and terrible shock to both victims and their families, often robbing people of their vitality and independence, not to mention the roughly 130,000 lives lost to strokes in 2010. Hypertension is the prime risk factor, but other factors include poor diet, obesity and smoking. In-office exams including carotid dopplers, EKG, and complete physical examinations can uncover risk factors for stroke, and then these risk factors can be modified.
5. Accidents
Accidents killed more than 118,000 people in the United States in 2010, and they were the No. 1 killer in every age group below ages 45-64, according to the CDC report. As the saying goes, accidents happen, but you can reduce your risk by taking some precautions. The best advice would be to buckle up — anecdotal evidence suggests that at least half to three-quarters of the 40,000 people killed in motor vehicle crashes in the U.S each year were not wearing seat belts. If you’re getting a bit older and not quite as spry as you once were, take a look around your house to assess and correct accident risks. Also, it should go without saying that if you’re out riding a bike or motorcycle, wear a helmet.
6. Alzheimer’s disease
The CDC report attributed 83,308 deaths to Alzheimer’s. Although this is one of the more poorly understood diseases on this list, more is being learned every day. Research has shown that there is a link between cardiovascular health and Alzheimer’s, as brain cells thrive on good circulation. Researchers have also discovered that those who maintain a challenging, active lifestyle, both physically and mentally, have a reduced risk. So take up a new hobby, learn a new language, or volunteer to tutor at a local school.
7. Diabetes Mellitus: This is a disease whose worse symptoms can be dramatically reduced by adopting a better lifestyle, yet more than 68,000 Americans died of complications from diabetes. Development of Type 2 diabetes can be mostly prevented by exercise, and eating a healthy diet.
8. Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis (kidney disease)
Diseases affecting this organ killed more than 50,000 American in 2010. These kidney issues are usually associated with diabetes, hypertension, and medication use and can be detected with annual screening urine studies, and may be monitored more frequently in diabetics.
9. Influenza and pneumonia
The media has featured many scary reports in recent years about the supposed dangers of flu shots. Don’t believe the hype. There is more mercury in a can of tuna fish than in most of the vaccines that are used. You are far likelier to die of the flu than you are from the extremely rare complications resulting from flu shots. Some 50,000 Americans died from influenza and pneumonia in 2010.
10. Intentional self-harm (suicide)
It’s bad enough that 37,793 people chose to end their life this way in 2010, but it gets much worse — suicide was the fourth-leading cause of death for ages 5-14 and the third-leading cause for ages 15-24. Don’t ever assume that this cannot happen to your child. Plenty of parents have made this mistake. If you notice a change in your child’s behavior, such as their sleeping or eating habits, or they no longer take interest in school or friends, heed the warning signs and get them help.