Lifestyle changes can greatly lower annual mortality rates: report

Federal health officials say two-thirds of all annual deaths in the U.S. are caused by five conditions—and 40% of those deaths could be prevented with a change in daily habits.

Heart disease, cancer, chronic lower-respiratory diseases, stroke and accidental injury accounted for 63% of all deaths in the U.S in 2010, according to findings published Thursday in the latest issue of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.

“As a doctor, it is heartbreaking to lose just one patient to a preventable condition,” said CDC Director Dr. Tom Frieden in a call with reporters Thursday. “But as the director of the nation's public health agency, it's painful beyond measure to know that we're losing well over 100,000 people every year in this country from diseases and injuries that could have been easily prevented.”

The study analyzed mortality data from the National Vital Statistics System between 2008 and 2010 for those under the age of 80.

Of the five leading causes, the study found that more than 200,000 deaths would be prevented if all states could lower their mortality rates to match the levels of states with the lowest rates: Colorado, Montana, North Dakota, Utah and Wyoming. States in the southeastern region of the U.S., defined to include Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee were found collectively to have the highest number of preventable deaths for each of the five leading causes.

In total, the study found that more than 91,000 deaths from heart disease were preventable, while an estimated 85,000 cancer deaths, as well as 29,000 respiratory, 17,000 stroke and 39,000 injury deaths could have been avoided.

“The good news is that things people can change—what we call modifiable risk factors—make a huge difference,” Frieden said. “Those modifiable risk factors include tobacco use, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, obesity, lack of physical activity, poor nutrition, exposure to second-hand smoke, lack of seat belt or motorcycle helmet use, drug and alcohol use, including prescription opiate use, as well as other risk factors.”

When asked why some regions of the country fared better than others, Frieden said public policies in some states have made a difference in improving the health of their populations.

“Collaboration makes a difference,” Frieden said. “We don't have to move geographically; we do have to move in terms of our policies and our programs.”

Follow Steven Ross Johnson on Twitter: @MHsjohnson