A report released by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention revealed five diseases that cause nearly two-thirds of all deaths annually in the United States.
CDC stated that at least one-third of these deaths could be prevented. The report showed that heart disease, lung disease, cancer, stroke and unintentional injuries accounted for nearly 900,000 deaths, or 63 percent, every year.
Taking these five major death reasons as foundation, the researchers examined the death rates in each state in people below the age of 80 from 2008 to 2010.
The research team compared the states with the highest death rates to the states with the lowest mortality. They observed that if the authorities and at risk population worked to lower their numbers to match other states, 30 percent of deaths from heart disease, 40 percent of deaths from lung disease, around 20 percent of premature deaths from cancer, 30 percent of stroke deaths and 40 percent of deaths caused by unintentional injuries could be tackled.
The CDC stated that people could reduce death rates by giving up unhealthy habits and start exercising.
"We have the biggest impact when we make the default choice the healthy choice, and that's what [the healthiest] states have done," Dr. Tom Frieden, the director of the CDC said in a press release. "Your longevity and health is more determined by your ZIP code than they are by your genetic code. We can make it easier for people to be physically active, to avoid tobacco and have access to healthy food, to get recommended clinical services such as blood pressure treatment and cancer checks."
The CDC noted that if communities and cities start following healthy lifestyle programs, they can significantly help reduce death rates throughout the nation. The CDC report can be found here.
