No one likes to think about their own mortality, but death is a fact of life. It’s also pretty unpredictable. The only way to lower your risk of developing a fatal health issue is to educate yourself and to live a healthy lifestyle.
Here are the top five causes of death in the United States, according to the latest data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Cardiovascular disease
Heart disease is the number one killer of people in the United States. In fact, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), it accounted for 23% of all deaths across the country in 2014. Sadly, a good number of these deaths could have been prevented simply by adopting a more healthy lifestyle. Factors and behaviors that typically lead to heart disease include tobacco use, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, poor diet, being overweight, and a lack of physical fitness. That’s bad news in an age when many of us enjoy junk food and spend our nine-to-five life sitting behind a computer screen.
Age is another risk factor, though it is completely out of your control. In fact, 84% of people age 65 and older will die from cardiovascular disease.
Cancer
Just like there are many types of cancer, there are also many causes; however, scientists have not yet discovered them all. Regardless, there are several ways to reduce your risk of getting certain kinds of cancer. As you can imagine, living a healthy lifestyle is a major factor. In addition, it’s important to schedule screenings, like colonoscopies and breast exams.
Chronic lower respiratory diseases
These are deadly diseases that affect the lungs, like emphysema and chronic bronchitis. They are the number three killer in the United States today, and like the top two they can often be prevented. The best way to prevent lung diseases is to avoid tobacco. Smoking is the most common cause of respiratory diseases followed by prolonged exposure to highly polluted areas. Air pollution can inflame and destroy lung tissue.
Accidents
This category includes a wide range of incidents, from car accidents to sports injuries and slips and falls in the workplace. Accidents are always unintentional, of course, so they can be hard to avoid. To protect yourself, just be smart and use your common sense.
Strokes
A stroke occurs when blood circulation in the brain fails. Besides being the fourth leading killer, they are also the most common cause of disability among American adults. Strokes share similar risk factors to cardiovascular disease; however, they can also be brought on by genetics, which can make suffering from a stroke unavoidable for some people.
Ultimately, maintaining a healthy lifestyle always lowers your risk of dying prematurely. Being healthy and making safe choices can also lower the cost of life insurance policies, since the cost of life insurance is mostly determined by your age and health.
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Sources:
- The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, via LiveScience
- Everyday Health
