What Are The Leading Causes Of Death – US And Worldwide Scenario

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Recent studies have shown that people worldwide are actually living longer compared to our predecessors. The average global life expectancy is 72.5 years old. Life expectancy is 75.3 years for women and 69.8 years for men. Last year, there were around 55 million deaths worldwide due to a multitude of causes. 73% of the causes were actually noncommunicable diseases, which means that they cannot be passed on from one person to another. Some of these are cancer, stroke, and heart disease. 19% of deaths, on the other hand, were caused by communicable, neonatal, maternal diseases, and nutritional diseases. And around 8 per cent of deaths came from injuries.

You are probably reading this article because you are curious to know what are the top causes of death in the world. You may want to know in order to help yourself steer away from these causes. Or, maybe, you are just plain curious. Either way, we have compiled the top ten leading causes of death in the world for you. As a bonus, we have also compiled the top five causes of death in the United States alone.

1. Road Injury

It is not surprising to see that road injuries made it to the list considering that a lot of vehicles get involved in traffic accidents everyday. There is actually no definite way of preventing this cause to happen, but you can always decrease the chances of it happening to you. Do not forget to always use seatbelts and wear helmets when on a motorcycle or other similar vehicles, and always keep first aid kits in your vehicles.

2. Tuberculosis

TB used to be untreatable in the early years and had actually been considered fatal before. However, due to advancements in the field of medicine and science, we now have treatments rendering this disease curable. Still, this stride does not prevent it from claiming lives. Early medication is important to ensure that this disease will not turn from treatable to deadly.

3. Diarrhoeal disease

Diarrhoea is actually one of the major causes of deaths for children. Around 500,000 children below 5 years old die each year from this disease. It is treatable, and you can prevent it. The best way to do this is by ensuring that any drinking water is safe and properly sanitized.

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4. Alzheimer’s disease

Improper work of the brain cells is one of the signs of Alzheimer’s – the most common type of dementia. The disease worsens as we grow older, and those at the age of 65 and over are at the highest risk. Though there is no cure for it, Alzheimer’s can be paused from progressing, and there is treatment for different symptoms available. As of today, this disease is at the forefront of biomedical research.

5. Diabetes

Diabetes has been in the top ten causes of death for decades now. This disease occurs when your body does not make enough insulin, or does not respond well to insulin, and therefore, your blood sugar level stays pretty high. Diabetes is preventable and treatable. It is fatal due to complications which arise when it is not treated timely and properly.

6. Trachea, bronchus, and lung cancers; Chronic obtrusive pulmonary disease; Lower respiratory infections

Respiratory diseases have always been one of the major causes of deaths worldwide, and are actually among the deadliest communicable diseases we have. They are deadly because they can cause the whole respiratory system to stop functioning. Respiratory diseases also cause many deaths to young children.

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7. Stroke

Stroke happens when, for different reasons, there is not enough blood supply in one’s brain. When the brain lacks blood, it means that it also lacks nutrients and oxygen for efficient functioning, which causes the brain cells to die. Stroke is a medical emergency. Early action can minimize brain damage and potential complications, so prompt treatment is crucial. The good news is that strokes can be treated and prevented, and fewer Americans die of stroke each year now than just 15 years ago.

8. Heart disease

Heart disease are still among the leading causes of death worldwide. The reason why heart disease is so deadly can be attributed to the fact that heart issues are slowly developing over time. Usually people do not know that they have a heart disease until it is too late.

Looking at the United States figures, the top five leading causes of deaths here are: heart disease, cancer, chronic lower respiratory diseases, accidents, and stroke. This list is somewhat similar to the causes of deaths worldwide. Even though some of the diseases stated above happen due to unknown or unforeseen factors or genetic changes that we do not have a hold over, the majority of them can be prevented with the right adjustments in one’s habits and food intake. Live a healthy lifestyle by eating good food, exercising regularly, drinking lots of water, and refraining from subjecting yourself to a harmful environment. Avoid drinking excessive alcohol and smoking too frequently.

There has been a falling number of preventable deaths since 2014 and this can mean that awareness on putting the importance on a healthy lifestyle is working. There has also been a declining trend in the number of reported cases on communicable, maternal, neonatal, and nutritional diseases. However, there has been increases in the number of deaths caused by noncommunicable diseases.

With the list of causes of death both in the United States and worldwide, you can now think over your life accordingly and make the necessary changes, especially on how to live healthy and away from stressors.

References:

www.medlineplus.gov

www.mayoclinic.org

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One Comment

Jayebird58

Dec 4, 2017 at 9:36 am

This is BS! You notice that there’s no author for this article, because the statistics are WRONG! Medical Errors are #3 on this list! Who wrote this BS?