Download America`s Least Wanted

You won’t find pictures of
America’s deadliest killers on television
shows like “America’s Most Wanted” or on
post office bulletin boards. The killers
responsible for more than 2 million deaths a
year aren’t people: They’re diseases and
accidents.
Thanks to research, new medicines
and preventive measures, the identities of
these killers have changed through the years.
In 1900, the leading causes of death in the
United States were pneumonia and
influenza, tuberculosis and acute intestinal
infections. Since then, vaccines, antibiotics
and better
living conditions have knocked all of these
off the top of the list.
Today, heart disease, cancer and
stroke have replaced them at the head of the
list. The good news is, preventive measures
reduce the threat from these and other
illnesses. In the last 20 years, life
expectancy at birth for the general
population has increased from 67 to 72 years
for men and from 75 years to 78 years for
women.
What are the top 10 killers? And
what can you do to try to reduce your risk of
ever encountering them?
1
Coronary Heart Disease
More than 500,000 people die in
the United States from coronary heart
disease each year. Even though the
death rate from this ailment has fallen
more than 30 percent from 1972, it
remains the number one killer of
Americans. It’s one of several illnesses
classified as cardiovascular diseases
(cardio = heart; vascular = blood
vessels), which also include high blood
pressure, rheumatic heart disease and
stroke. Together, they kill more than
twice the number of people who die
from cancer, which ranks second. In
fact, cardiovascular diseases kill almost
as many people as all other causes of
death combined. According to the
American Heart Association, nearly one
in two Americans will die from a
cardiovascular disease – someone every
32 seconds.
In the last 50 years, hundreds of
millions of dollars have been spent in
research. These studies have identified
risk factors and habits that contribute to
cardiovascular diseases, as well as ways
to lessen a person’s risk of getting them.
The major risk factors include heredity,
male sex, increasing age, smoking, high
blood pressure and high blood
cholesterol. Although you can’t do
anything about your age, sex or genes,
you can change your lifestyle to reduce
your chance of developing a
cardiovascular disease.
If, for one thing, you smoke, quit.
If you don’t smoke, don’t start. A
smoker is twice as likely as a nonsmoker to have a heart attack. While
about two-thirds of the people who have
heart attacks survive, smokers are more
likely than nonsmokers to die from
them.
High blood pressure and high
blood cholesterol are two other
controllable risk factors. Proper diet,
weight control, regular exercise and low
salt intake often keep blood pressure
within safe levels. Sometimes
medication is required. Blood
cholesterol can also be controlled with a
proper diet that includes foods low in
cholesterol and saturated fat. Go easy on
the hamburgers, french fries, whole milk
and eggs. Choose fish, poultry, grains,
fruits, vegetables and polyunsaturated
oils more often. Regular exercise also
affects blood cholesterol levels.
2
Cancer
Death rates for most forms of
cancer are declining, but a steady rise in
lung cancer was observed during the past
50 years. This keeps the illness in
second place among the nation’s killers.
Cancer is characterized by growth and
spread of abnormal cells. These cells
grow into tumors, masses of tissue.
Cancer kills normal tissue. When cancer
spreads unchecked throughout the body,
the person usually dies. Fortunately, if
the disease is discovered early, survival
rates are good.
Early detection depends upon
people knowing and watching for the
American Cancer Society’s seven
warning signs: changes in bowel or
bladder habits, a sore that does not heal,
unusual bleeding or discharge, a
thickening or lump, chronic indigestion
or difficulty swallowing, obvious change
in a wart or mole, and a nagging cough
or hoarseness that does not go away.
Screening tests, such as colorectal tests
for blood in the stool, Pap tests for
cervical cancer, and mammograms for
breast cancer identify problems early
enough so that treatment can be
successful.
You can reduce your risk of
cancer by avoiding tobacco use
(including smokeless tobacco), using
sunscreen and avoiding excessive sun
exposure and eliminating or limiting
alcohol use. Cancer has also been linked
to industrial agents (such as nickel,
chromate and asbestos), and radiation, so
avoid exposure to these suspects.
Careful attention to nutrition and
weight control can also help prevent
cancer. Limit the amount of fatty foods,
as well as salt-cured, smoked, and
nitrite-cured foods in your diet. Increase
high-fiber foods such as whole grains,
fruits and vegetables. Foods high in
vitamins A and C may also help reduce
the risk of getting cancer. Choose
carrots, spinach, oranges, grapefruit,
strawberries and green and red peppers.
Cabbage, broccoli, brussels sprouts and
cauliflower may also reduce the risk of
cancer.
3
cerebrovascular accident, a disruption of
the blood supply to the brain caused
either by bleeding or by the same kind of
blood vessel blockage that causes heart
attack. In both cases, brain cells die.
Stroke is also a leading cause of
disability. Survivors often lose function
in the areas of the body that were
controlled by the brain cells that died.
Heredity plays a big part in
stroke risk. So do age (over 55), sex
(men have more strokes), race (black
people have a 60 percent higher risk than
white people), diabetes and having had a
prior stroke. Treatable risk factors
include high blood pressure, heart
disease, high red blood cell count and
mini-strokes, called TIAs, that
sometimes precede full-blown stroke.
The best stroke prevention is
blood pressure control. Since 1972,
stroke deaths have declined 5 percent per
year. The improvement is credited to
better ways to control blood pressure and
better care after stroke. The same hearthealthy diet recommended for the other
cardiovascular diseases helps control
blood pressure and prevent stroke.
Other preventive measures include
controlling blood cholesterol and weight,
avoidance of smoking and alcohol, and
regular exercise.
4
Lung Disease
Stroke
Stroke is one of the
cardiovascular diseases, but because it
kills nearly 150,000 Americans annually,
it ranks third among the top 10 killers.
Stroke is the most common name for
Lung diseases rank fourth among
deadly illness, killing close to 79,000
Americans a year. Coughing, wheezing
and shortness of breath are symptoms
shared by two serious lung diseases:
emphysema and chronic bronchitis.
Emphysema destroys the lungs’ ability
to expand and contract. Chronic
bronchitis is an inflammation of the
airways. Damage interferes with the
intake of oxygen or weakens the lungs
so they can’t fight infection.
The lungs have more direct
contact with the environment than any
other part of the body, including the
skin, so air quality is of critical concern.
But the prime suspect in most deaths
from lung disease is smoking. In 1987,
the U.S. Surgeon General estimated
smoking was responsible for between 80
percent and 90 percent of chronic lung
diseases.
The most important way to avoid
lung diseases is to not smoke. Exercise
is another way to keep lungs healthy.
Regular exercise improves the body’s
breathing capacity, the amount of air you
can inhale in a deep breath. A third way
to reduce the death rate from lung
disease is to work to reduce air pollution.
5
Accidents
for people thrown from their vehicles are
40 times higher than those for people
who aren’t ejected. Some people wear
seat belts only for long-distance travel in
the mistaken belief that short trips are
safer than long ones. If you buckle up
every time you ride in a car or other
motor vehicle, you’ll reduce your risk of
accidental death.
Another preventable risk factor
associated with vehicle accidents is
alcohol. These accidents cause around
47,000 deaths annually. Falls and
complications from them kill thousands
of people – mostly elderly – every year.
Deaths from drowning and fire are also
included in the total. Most drownings
occur after people slip or fall into water,
so careful observance of water safety
rules is an important preventive measure.
Alcohol is also often implicated in these
deaths. Fire deaths can be avoided by
installing smoke detectors on every floor
of your home and avoiding late-night use
of alcohol and tobacco.
6
Diabetes
The fifth leading cause of death
is accidents. About half of the more
than 95,000 accidental deaths each year
involve motor vehicles. Falls, drowning
and fires make up a large portion of the
remainder.
Seatbelts are between 50 and 65
percent effective in preventing traffic
fatalities, but some people forget or
refuse to use them. Many people think
their chances of surviving a crash are
better if they are not confined by a
seatbelt in a wrecked or overturned car.
However, statistics show that death rates
Approximately 11 million
Americans – about one person in 20 –
has diabetes. There is no cure for the
disease, which affects the way the body
changes food into energy. People with
diabetes don’t produce insulin, a
hormone, or produce too little for the
body to process glucose and other sugars
normally. A person with diabetes can
have very high blood sugar levels that
don’t permit normal functioning. Alone,
the illness ranks sixth among the top ten
killer, and diabetes complications
contribute to heart disease, kidney
diseases and stroke. If you count deaths
in which diabetes was a factor, this
illness could rank fourth.
The two main types of diabetes
are known as insulin-dependent (type I)
and non-insulin-dependent (type II).
Insulin-dependent diabetes occurs most
often in children and young adults,
which is why it was once called
juvenile-onset diabetes. That term is no
longer used because they can occur at
any age.
Since insulin helps convert food
to energy, those with insulin-dependent
diabetes must inject the hormone daily.
Those with non-insulin-dependent
diabetes produce insulin, but for some
reason the body can’t use it effectively.
Treatment for these patients includes a
carefully planned diet and regular
exercise. Some oral medication may
also be prescribed.
Most researchers believe many
cases of diabetes have a hereditary
connection. They think heredity
predisposes a person to diabetes, but
genes alone don’t cause the disease.
Attention to healthy living, including
weight control, may be helpful in
preventing or delaying the onset of Type
II diabetes. Viral infections such as
mumps, chicken pox, rubella and
influenza may trigger the onset of
insulin-dependent diabetes.
7
Flu/Pneumonia
Once the nation’s leading cause
of death, the combination of pneumonia
and influenza still rank seventh among
the top ten killers. Pneumonia is an
inflammation of the lungs that interferes
with breathing because tiny air sacs in
the lungs are swollen and do not
function properly. Unchecked, the
infection can cause the lungs to lose the
ability to absorb oxygen. Death can
come from prolonged lack of oxygen.
Pneumonia has more than 30
causes, primarily bacteria, viruses or
mycoplasma (organisms with qualities
similar to both bacteria and viruses).
People with healthy immune systems
can fight off the infection, but the very
young and very old are vulnerable to it.
So are people with weak immune
systems, such as heavy smokers and
people with diabetes, sickle-cell anemia
or AIDS.
Influenzas, or flus, are illnesses
common during winter. As there are
various pneumonias, there are different
kinds of flu. Flu often precedes
pneumonia, so the first line of defense
against pneumonia is flu prevention. Flu
vaccine protects against the illness, and
every year people considered at high risk
are encouraged to get flu shots. A drug
call atantadine is an effective treatment
for a kind of flu known as influenza A,
the most common type of flu in
America. Vaccines are also available to
protect against many kinds of
pneumonia. Another way to avoid flu
and pneumonia is to maintain overall
health. The same rules apply here, too:
Don’t smoke. Eat a balanced diet.
Exercise regularly. Get plenty of rest.
8
Alzheimer’s Disease
9
Kidney Disease (Nephritis)
The kidneys remove waste,
balance the body’s fluids and help
control blood pressure, as well as
performing other important body
functions. When kidneys are diseased,
they can no longer perform these tasks
efficiently.
Sometimes, kidney disease leads
to complete shutdown of the kidneys.
Although a mechanical filter called
dialysis or an organ transplant may keep
patients with kidney diseases alive and
functioning, kidney diseases ranks ninth
among the nation’s killers.
There are a number of reasons
that kidney diseases develop. Some,
such as polycystic kidney disease, are
inherited. In other cases, there are
abnormalities present at birth. The most
frequent cause is from infection of the
urinary tract, which can cause a number
of problems, including obstruction.
Some kidney problems appear as a result
of other diseases, such as diabetes. High
blood pressure can affect the kidneys
and that is something that usually can be
controlled.
Although causes of many kidney
diseases remain unknown, research has
shown that kidney damage can occur
from heavy use of pain killers, exposure
to toxins and pesticides, and abuse of
heroin or other street drugs.
10
Blood Poisoning (Septicemia)
Other Killers:
Suicide
In North America, white males
older than 35 commit 75 percent of all
suicides, but women make three times as
many attempts, according to Adina
Wrobleski, author of Suicide: Why?
Young people between the ages of 15
and 24 have a low suicide rate compared
with that of adults. However, the rate
for this age group rose quickly in the 30
years from 1856 to 1986.
Depression is a contributing
factor in 60 percent of all suicides.
Depression is a mental illness that
affects people’s mood. Physical causes
may include maladjustment or imbalance
of chemicals in the area of the brain
responsible for controlling a person’s
mood. Although depression is often
treatable with medication and
psychotherapy, researchers estimate only
one person in five who has the disorder
seeks help. Unfortunately, the longer it
remains untreated, the more likely it is to
become chronic and severe.
About half of the suicides linked
to depression also involve the abuse of
alcohol and other drugs. Researchers
also suspect a hereditary link in some of
these.
Suicide prevention must involve
a person’s close friends and family
members. Clues that someone may
attempt suicide include statements about
hopelessness, helplessness or
worthlessness. Other symptoms include
talk of suicide, a change in usual
behavior, social withdrawal, increased
incidents of anger and irritability, overt
sadness, changes in eating or sleeping
habits and a preoccupation with death.
Experts warn that suicide threats should
never be ignored or kept secret.
Cirrhosis is a scarring of the liver
tissue often due to injury from excessive
drinking of alcohol. In cirrhosis, scar
tissue replaces healthy tissue and
interferes with the liver’s functioning.
Inhaling chemical fumes has also been
implicated in cirrhosis. Although severe
cases do cause death, not all cirrhosis is
life threatening. Some cases can be
treated with proper diet and by
eliminating alcohol.
Liver Disease
Liver disease kills more than
25,000 Americans a year. The liver aids
in digestion and also helps purify the
blood. If the disease or injury is not too
severe, the liver can produce new cells to
replace diseased or damaged ones. If
disease progresses, the body’s
metabolism is severely affected. If the
liver stops working, death results.
Two main diseases of the liver
are hepatitis and cirrhosis. Hepatitis is
an inflammation of the liver. At least
three kinds of hepatitis have been
identified, and scientists suspect a
fourth. Hepatitis A is caused by
contaminated food or water. Hepatitis B
spreads through hypodermic needles
shared by drug abusers. It can also be
spread by sexual contact. Blood
transfusions were once largely
responsible for the spread of the
diseases, but tests that are now used to
detect the virus in blood donations were
developed in the 1970’s. A third kind of
hepatitis, known as toxic hepatitis,
results from excessive alcohol
consumption and some chemicals,
particularly carbon tetrachloride and
other cleaning fluids.
In Conclusion…
Sometimes disease is
unavoidable, but many illnesses can be
prevented – particularly illnesses on the
list of the top 10 killers. The risk of
early death can be reduced by following
a healthy lifestyle that includes a
balanced, low-fat, high-fiber diet;
regular exercise and weight control; and
avoidance of tobacco, alcohol and other
drugs. If you stay away from these
notorious killers, you’ll improve your
chances of living a long, healthy life.