Preventable causes of death
Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. The World Health Organization has traditionally classified death according to the primary type of disease or injury. However, causes of death may also be classified in terms of preventable risk factors—such as smoking, unhealthy diet,sexual behavior,and reckless dirving—which contribute to a number of different diseases. Such risk factors are usually not recorded directly on death certificates.[1]
Contents
Worldwide
It is estimated that of the roughly 150,000 people who die each day across the globe, about two thirds—100,000 per day—die of age-related causes because they have aged.[2] In industrialized nations the proportion is much higher, reaching 90%.[2] Thus, albeit indirectly, biological aging (senescence) is by far the leading cause of death. Whether senescence as a biological process itself can be slowed down, halted, or even reversed is a subject of current scientific speculation and research.[3]
2001 figures
Leading causes of preventable death worldwide as of the year 2001, according to researchers working with the Disease Control Priorities Network (DCPN)[4] and the World Health Organization (WHO).[5] (The WHO's 2008 statistics show very similar trends.)
| Cause | Number of deaths resulting (millions per year) |
|---|---|
| Hypertension | 7.8 |
| Smoking tobacco | 5.4 |
| Malnutrition | 3.8 |
| Sexually transmitted diseases | 3.0 |
| Poor diet | 2.8 |
| Overweight and obesity | 2.5 |
| Physical inactivity | 2.0 |
| Alcohol | 1.9 |
| Indoor air pollution from solid fuels | 1.8 |
| Unsafe water and poor sanitation | 1.6 |
In 2001, on average 29,000 children died of preventable causes each day (that is, about 20 deaths per minute). The authors provide the context:
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About 56 million people died in 2001. Of these, 10.6 million were children, 99% of whom lived in low-and-middle-income countries. More than half of child deaths in 2001 were attributable to acute respiratory infections, measles, diarrhea, malaria, and HIV/AIDS.[5]
United States
The three most common preventable causes of death in the population of the United States are smoking, high blood pressure, and being overweight.[6]
Accidental death
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Leading causes of accidental death in the United States by age group as of 2002.[8]
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Leading causes of accidental death in the United States as of 2002, as a percentage of deaths in each group.[8]
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Annual number of deaths and causes
| Cause | Number | Percent of total | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Preventable medical errors in hospitals | 210,000 to 448,000 [9] | 23.1% | Estimates vary, significant numbers of preventable deaths also result from errors outside of hospitals. |
| Smoking tobacco | 435,000 [7] | 18.1% | |
| Being overweight and obesity | 111,909 [10] | 4.6% | There was considerable debate about the differences in the numbers of obesity-related diseases. The numbers reported in the referenced article have been found to be the most accurate.[11] |
| Alcohol | 85,000 [7] | 3.5% | |
| Infectious diseases | 75,000 [7] | 3.1% | |
| Toxic agents including toxins, particulates and radon | 55,000 [7] | 2.3% | |
| Traffic collisions | 43,000 [7] | 1.8% | |
| Preventable colorectal cancers | 41,400 | 1.7% | Colorectal cancer (bowel cancer, colon cancer) caused 51,783 deaths in the US in 2011.[12] About 80 percent[13] of colorectal cancers begin as benign growths, commonly called polyps, which can be easily detected and removed during a colonoscopy. Accordingly, the tabulated figure assumes that 80% of the fatal cancers could have been prevented. |
| Firearms deaths | 31,940 [14] | 1.3% | Suicide: 19,766; homicide: 11,101; Accidents: 852; Unknown: 822 |
| Sexually transmitted infections | 20,000 [7] | 0.8% | |
| Drug abuse | 17,000 [7] | 0.7% |
Among children worldwide
Various injuries are the leading cause of death in children 9–17 years of age. The top five worldwide unintentional injuries in children are as follows:[15]
| Cause | Number of deaths resulting |
|---|---|
| Traffic collision |
260,000 per year |
| Drowning |
175,000 per year |
| Burns |
96,000 per year |
| Falls |
47,000 per year |
| Toxins |
45,000 per year |
See also
References
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- ↑ 8.0 8.1 National Vital Statistics Report, Vol. 50, No. 15, September 16, 2002 as compiled at [1]
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