The 10 deadliest diseases in the U.S. in 2007 were heart disease, cancer, stroke, chronic lower respiratory diseases, unintentional injuries, Alzheimer's disease, diabetes, flu and pneumonia, kidney disease and septicemia, according to the National Vital Statistics Report. Many of the deadliest medical conditions are preventable. The leading risk factors for the deadliest diseases are smoking, high blood pressure, obesity, lack of exercise and high blood sugar, according to an article titled "The Preventable Causes of Death in the United States: Comparative Risk Assessment of Dietary, Lifestyle, and Metabolic Risk Factors" by Goodarz Danaei and colleagues in the April 2009 issue of the journal "Public Library of Science."
Heart Disease
Heart disease kills more than 500,000 Americans a year. Coronary artery disease, or CAD, is the most common type of heart disease. In CAD, vessels that bring oxygen-rich blood to the heart become blocked, causing chest pain and heart attacks. Over time, CAD leads to heart failure and abnormal heart rhythms and other causes of death from heart disease. In many cases, heart disease is preventable, according to the National Heart, Blood and Lung Institute. Risk factors include high blood cholesterol, high blood pressure, smoking, diabetes, being overweight, lack of physical activity, age and family history. High levels of C-reactive protein in the blood, an indicator of inflammation, are also a risk factor.
Cancer
Cancer is the second-leading cause of death. Lung cancer is the most common type of cancer, and is the leading cause of cancer deaths, according to the National Cancer Institute. Ninety percent of lung cancer cases are caused by smoking. The other biggest cancer killers are cancers of the colon and rectum, breast, pancreas and prostate, and lymphoma, melanoma and leukemia.
Stroke
Stroke, the third-leading cause of death, occurs when an artery leading to, or within, the brain is blocked or bursts. High blood pressure is the most common cause of stroke and is a controllable risk factor, according to the National Stroke Association. Other common risk factors include: cigarette smoking, arterial disease, atrial fibrillation, CAD, sickle cell anemia, high blood cholesterol, lack of exercise and obesity. People with diabetes, which is the seventh-leading cause of death, are at high risk for stroke because they often have the risk factors of high blood pressure, high cholesterol and obesity.
Chronic Lower Respiratory Diseases
Chronic lower respiratory diseases are the fourth-leading cause of death, and include chronic bronchitis and emphysema. Smoking is the main cause of these diseases, according to the American Academy of Family Physicians. Other irritants also cause COPD, including fumes, dust, smoke, vapor or mists, usually breathed in at a place of employment. COPD sufferers who smoke can prevent the disorder from getting worse by quitting.
References
- Public Library of Science: The Preventable Causes of Death in the United States: Comparative Risk Assessment of Dietary, Lifestyle, and Metabolic Risk Factors
- National Vital Statistics Report: Deaths: Final Data for 2007
- FamilyDoctor.org: Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)
- National Heart Lung and Blood Institute: What Is Coronary Artery Disease?
- National Cancer Institute: Common Cancer Types
