Preventable causes of death
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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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