About 20 to 40 percent of premature deaths in the United States are avoidable, says a new study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The study says, the premature deaths from the five leading causes can be prevented by making some significant and healthy changes in lifestyle and working environment. Premature deaths are defined as deaths before the age of 80.
According to CDC, five leading causes of deaths, including heart disease, cancer, chronic lower respiratory diseases, stroke and unintentional injuries kill about 900,000 Americans prematurely each year. In 2010, these five causes contributed to 63 percent of all deaths in the United States.
The new report was published in Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, a weekly journal of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The study aimed at analyzing premature deaths from the mentioned five causes in each state between 2008 and 2010.
The report made following findings on possible deaths that can be prevented:
- 39 percent of premature deaths from unintentional injuries, prolonging about 37,000 lives.
- 39 percent of premature deaths from chronic lower respiratory diseases, prolonging about 29,000 lives.
- 34 percent of premature deaths from heart diseases, prolonging about 92,000 lives.
- 33 percent of premature stroke deaths, prolonging about 17,000 lives.
- 21 percent of premature cancer deaths, prolong about 84,500 lives.
The researchers have not given a combined figure on the number of preventable deaths from each cause.
