The Top Ten Causes of Death in America

by | Jan 3, 2023 | Health

The Top Ten Causes of Death in America

I think it’s important to be cognizant of the dangers we face in our daily lives. In some cases, there’s nothing we can do. However, very often, lifestyle changes can play a crucial role in keeping you healthy and avoiding some of the following frequent causes of death.

  1. Heart Attacks

About 24% of deaths in America are a result of heart attacks. In real numbers, that’s approximately 650,000 people per year.

  1. Cancer

About 22% of deaths in America are cancer related. In terms of the numbers, it’s around 600,000 per year

  1. Unintentional Injuries

This accounts for about 6% of deaths or about 170,000 people per year. A significant percentage are a result of motor vehicle accidents, which account for about 37,000 deaths per year. Many of those are caused by DUI drivers.

  1. Chronic Lower Respiratory Disease

This accounts for approximately 6% of deaths or around 160,000 per year. In this category, we’re talking about.

  • chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
  • bronchitis
  • emphysema
  • asthma
  1. Stroke and Cerebrovascular Diseases

This accounts for about 5% of deaths or approximately 147,000 per year

  1. Alzheimer’s

This accounts for about 4% of deaths or approximately 121,000 per year

  1. Diabetes

This accounts for about 3% of deaths or approximately 83,000 per year

  1. Influenza and Pneumonia

This accounts for about 2% of deaths or approximately 56,000 per year

  1. Kidney Disease

This accounts for about 1.8% of deaths or approximately 51,000 per year

  1. Suicide

On average, there are about 47,000 deaths annually in America as a result of suicides.

  • It is the 2nd leading cause of death for people between the ages of 10 and 34.
  • The 24-Hour National Suicide Prevention Lifeline number is: 800-273-8255

Obviously, we cannot prevent many of the deaths described above, however, there is some general advice, which should improve our health and help us potentially avoid some of the diseases and pitfalls mentioned above.  We’re already familiar with much of the advice, but do we follow these guidelines?

  • Eat healthy foods [something the author of this article doesn’t do, unless you consider a daily dose of burgers, fries, steaks, Italian food, and lots of chocolate chip cookies / ice cream good choices]
  • Get plenty of sleep [I don’t get nearly enough sleep]
  • Exercise Often [I go to the gym every day]
  • Avoid alcohol or drink only in moderation [I never touched alcohol]
  • Do not smoke [I never smoked]
  • Do not use illegal drugs [I never touched illegal drugs]
  • Build healthy and positive relationships. This is critical and let me add one thought of my own. Laughter is the best medicine on the planet.
  • Avoid the use of unnecessary legal prescription drugs.
  • Establish an ongoing relationship with a doctor. Go for annual physicals, which thanks to Obamacare, are now free. You should also schedule regular dental appointments.

How does your lifestyle jive with the recommendations listed above?

Republican Cruelty Demonstrated by their opposition to Obamacare

by | Jun 17, 2021 | Health, Politics

When it comes to Obamacare, the Republicans repeatedly demonstrated cruelty towards the American people.  Even though the concept originated with Republican Mitt Romney, they repeatedly tried their best to block it because, in my opinion, they didn’t want President Obama receiving credit for a national health insurance law. They created an array of bogus scare tactics such as “Death Panels’, and it’s a government takeover of healthcare, etc. Nothing could be further from the truth because, per the law, all insurance is provided by PRIVATE companies.

Apparently, Republicans couldn’t care less if millions of Americans are forced to live without health insurance. When Trump was President, and they controlled both houses, they never came up with an alternative to Obamacare. That didn’t stop Trump from repeatedly promising the best health care bill ever will be ready to go in two weeks. In my opinion, that was the biggest broken promise (out of many) from Trump. Of course, his loyal followers will never hold him accountable for that failure.

Republicans recently tried to destroy the Affordable Care Act law forever, with a Texas case, supported by 17 Republican State Attorney Generals, which advanced to the Supreme Court. Thankfully, on June 17, 2021, the Supreme Court announced a 7-2 decision, rejecting the lawsuit, because they didn’t have legal standing. I’m sure the 21 million Americans on Obamacare are breathing a sigh of relief, knowing they can keep their health insurance.

Let’s acknowledge that Obamacare has flaws which need to be fixed, but that’s very doable. The main reason everyone should support the Affordable Care Act is it provides insurance to around 20-21 million people, who prior to this law, often went without health insurance. But the law did a lot more than fill in a desperately needed gap in coverage. Even though most people (around 85%) still obtain health insurance through their employers, the law has a major impact on everyone. Check out the following positive changes which apply to all Americans.

  • You can no longer be denied health insurance because of Pre-Existing Conditions, and it also eliminated the Pre-Condition Penalties. By the way, it’s estimated that over 40% of Americans have pre-existing conditions.
  • The unemployed can buy quality health insurance.
  • Those who are Self-Employed can buy quality health insurance.
  • Those who have jobs where their employer doesn’t provide health coverage can now buy it.
  • Women cannot be charged extra for their premiums, which was typical before Obamacare.
  • The Affordable Care Act prohibits employers from imposing annual or lifetime limits on benefits and caps out-of-pocket spending. If you get a serious illness, such as cancer, this one is huge.
  • Children can stay on the parent’s policies up to the age of 25.
  • Medicaid was expanded.
  • For Medicare recipients, Obamacare closes the so-called Prescription Drug Doughnut Hole.
  • The next one is so important, I’m going to highlight it with a different color. Insurance companies and doctors all agree on the critical importance of preventive care, which often discovers health problems before they become serious, major issues.
  • Thanks to Obamacare, preventive care is free to the patient.

Do not listen to the never ending bogus, phony Republican claims about Obamacare. And don’t believe  what I wrote. I encourage you to do your own research, something which rarely happens in Trump World. I’m confident you’ll learn that even with its flaws, Obamacare is having a major positive impact on America. If the Republicans don’t like the law, why don’t they come up with a better alternative? As mentioned above, they had a golden opportunity to create their own health care law during the first 2 years of the Trump Administration, but they did nothing. I think they just don’t care. They instead concentrate their efforts on taking away health insurance from approximately 21 million Americans. That is cruel and despicable.

Eating Healthy Is Overrated

by | Jun 12, 2021 | Health, Life

Let me make several points very clear before we get into the heart of this article. I am not saying eating healthy is a bad thing, because it’s obvious that everyone should do such. But for many people, such as myself, that’s never going to happen. I want people to know there are other factors, which in my opinion, are every bit as important as one’s diet, possibly more important. Don’t beat yourself up if you have poor eating habits, try to make up for it in other ways.

Next, this article is not based on science, it’s nothing more than my personal opinion. So please don’t refer me to scientific data proving a certain type of diet is better or healthier for you. That’s a given, nobody’s disagreeing with that premise. From my perspective, lifestyle choices are every bit as important as what you eat. I’m talking about regular exercise, which everyone in the field of medical science agrees pays huge dividends. Did you know that most surveys reveal approximately only one out of four Americans participates in a regular exercise program? That’s hard to believe.

But there’s a lot more than exercise, such as avoiding alcohol, cigarettes, and prescription drugs. Yes I said prescription drugs. Americans are like junkies, strung out on array of prescription drugs. All one has to do is listen to those never-ending drug commercials on TV when they get to the disclaimer. This drug can cause strokes, tumors, heart attacks, and on rare occasions, even death. Why would anyone voluntarily choose to take a prescription drug with so many negative possibilities? Yes, I realize that for people with certain health conditions, they must take some prescription drugs. However, I am talking about the millions of Americans who see a drug commercial and ask or demand that their doctor orders a prescription for the drug they saw on TV. Why do you think drug companies spend millions of dollars on this type of advertising? If you watch those commercials, the message is very clear. Take this drug and your life will become better in so many ways.

Before I leave this subject, allow me to summarize an article I read a few years go. It was written by physician who talked about the perils of prescription drugs. He described the following scenario for many of his patients. He said I prescribe prescription A for one of my patients. About 3 months later, I have to prescribe prescription B to treat the side effects of prescription A. Fast forward another 3 months, and then I have to prescribe prescription C for her, which counters the side effects of taking the combination of prescriptions A & B. He said it’s a never-ending cycle, which I’m sure which enriches America’s drug companies, but it probably creates more health issues than it resolves.

We all know that breathing in cigarette smoke is extremely harmful, but let’s talk briefly about alcohol, something most Americans regularly consume. Multiple studies revealed the kind of damage alcohol does to your body and possibly your brain. The type of alcohol (beer, wine, whiskey) is irrelevant. All forms are harmful when regularly consuming alcohol. By the way, I don’t believe the claims that a certain level of alcohol consumption is actually good for you.

Let’s move on to the subject of one’s diet. As for me, I’m the role model for everything doctors tell you to avoid. My lifetime diet primarily consists of burgers, fries, steaks, chicken, Italian food, ice cream, chocolate chip cookies, and cake. Hmmmmmm, I’m getting hungry just thinking about the above. I know, you’re probably thinking I’m 50 pounds overweight, can barely buckle up my belt, and I’m burdened with an array of medical issues. You would be wrong. I’m about 5 to 6 pounds overweight, which isn’t too bad for a guy my age. But here’s the good news. With exception of allergy medicine, I do NOT take any prescription drugs!

I never smoked, I never drank any form of alcohol, and I’ve been physically fit my entire life. I try to make it to the gym every morning. Five days a week, I do cardio, and twice a week, even though I hate it, I do circuit weights. No, I’m not training for the Olympics, I do just enough to maintain a decent level of fitness. When my father was my age, he could barely walk up a flight of stairs, while I take them two at a time. I have yet to meet a woman who can outlast me on the dance floor. I’m LOL. I can still go to a dance club and dance the night away. If disco would somehow make a comeback, I would be so happy.

Every year I go for my annual physical. Last year, my blood pressure was almost the same as it was 25 years ago. My cholesterol is slightly elevated, and my triglycerides are way too high. That’s the price I pay for eating so many cookies and lots of ice cream and cake. Yesterday I went to the Cheesecake Factory and couldn’t decide between Chocolate Oriole or Hershey’s chocolate cheesecake. But have no fear, I knew whatever I chose would be delicious. I just had to work a little harder in the gym this morning.

I know several people who eat a very healthy diet, but they still suffer form an array of health issues. It could be genetics, or maybe it’s a combination of a lack of exercise, too much alcohol, and/or a reliance upon prescription drugs. From my perspective, the good eaters I referred to are proof that a healthy diet isn’t enough. I’m sure everyone will probably think my next comment is nothing more than wishful thinking, and you’re probably right. Eating healthy is a good thing, but it may be overrated. Despite what so many scientists tell us, I think one can make up for a poor diet with an array of lifestyle choices which I described above. I want to believe those lifestyle choices may be more important than a healthy diet, but who am I to counter what the world of science tells us.

Alcohol Damages Brain Cells (Gray Matter)

by | May 21, 2021 | Health

No Amount of Alcohol is Good For You

Scientists have known for decades that drinking alcohol destroys brain cells (the gray matter used for thinking and logic). Here are the results of major study in the UK. Virtually all of the information below comes from the NPR and CNN websites. There is no such thing as a “safe” level of drinking, with increased consumption of alcohol associated with poorer brain health, according to a new study.

In an observational study, which has not yet been peer-reviewed, researchers from the University of Oxford studied the relationship between the self-reported alcohol intake of some 25,000 people in the UK, and their brain scans. The researchers noted that drinking had an effect on the brain’s gray matter, regions in the brain that make up “important bits where information is processed,” according to lead author Anya Topiwala, a senior clinical researcher at Oxford. “The more people drank, the less the volume of their gray matter,” Topiwala said via email. “Brain volume reduces with age and more severely with dementia. Smaller brain volume also predicts worse performance on memory testing,” she explained.

“While alcohol only made a small contribution to this (0.8%), it was a greater contribution than other ‘modifiable’ risk factors,” she said, explaining that modifiable risk factors are “ones you can do something about, in contrast to aging,” Type of alcohol doesn’t matter”. The team also investigated whether certain drinking patterns, beverage types and other health conditions made a difference to the impact of alcohol on brain health. They found that there was no “safe” level of drinking. meaning that consuming any amount of alcohol was worse than not drinking it. They also found no evidence that the type of drink, such as wine, spirits or beer, affected the harm done to the brain. 

Keep in mind that certain characteristics, such as high blood pressure, obesity, or binge-drinking, could put people at higher risk, researchers added. “So many people drink ‘moderately,’ and think this is either harmless or even protective,” Topiwala told CNN via email. “As we have yet to find a ‘cure’ for neurodegenerative diseases like dementia, knowing about factors that can prevent brain harm is important for public health,” she added.

No safe limit
The risks of alcohol have long been known: Previous studies have found there’s no amount of liquor, wine, or beer that is safe for your overall health.  Alcohol was the leading risk factor for disease and premature death in men and women between the ages of 15 and 49 worldwide in 2016, accounting for nearly one in 10 deaths, according to a study published in the Lancet in 2018. “While we can’t yet say for sure whether there is ‘no safe level’ of alcohol regarding brain health at the moment, it has been known for decades that heavy drinking is bad for brain health,“ Sadie Boniface, head of research at the UK’s Institute of Alcohol Studies, told CNN via email. “We also shouldn’t forget alcohol affects all parts of the body and there are multiple health risks,” said Boniface, who was not associated with the University of Oxford study.

Tony Rao, a visiting clinical fellow in Old Age Psychiatry at King’s College London, told CNN that given the large sample size, it was unlikely the study’s findings could have arisen by chance. Rao said the study replicates previous research that has shown there is no safe limit in the level of alcohol consumption for its role in damage to the structure and function of the human brain. “Previous research revealed subtle changes, which demonstrate damage to the brain, can present in ways that are not immediately detectable on routine testing of intellectual function and can progress unchecked until they present with more noticeable changes in memory,” he said. “Even at levels of low-risk drinking,” he said, “there is evidence that alcohol consumption plays a larger role in damage to the brain than previously thought. The (Oxford) study found that this role was greater than many other modifiable risk factors, such as smoking.”

“The interaction with high blood pressure and obesity on increasing the damage done by alcohol to the brain emphasizes the wider role of diet and lifestyle in maintaining brain health,” he added. “Our results show that the safest level of drinking is none,” the report states. “This level is in conflict with most health guidelines, which espouse health benefits associated with consuming up to two drinks per day.”

The study looked at a broad range of risks posed by alcohol consumption, including diseases, driving accidents and self-harm. According to the report, alcohol led to 2.8 million deaths in 2016. It was the leading risk factor for disease worldwide, the study found, accounting for almost 10 percent of deaths among those ages 15 to 49.

Obviously, people will not stop drinking because it’s a lifelong habit. But hopefully, studies like this will motivate them to reduce the amount of alcohol they consume.