Leading Causes of Death in the United States

Leading Causes of Death in the United StatesTom Hatch4/15/15ObjectivesStudents will be able to identify the three leading causes of death in the United StatesStudents will be able to identify the factors that increase the chances of dying from the leading causesStudents will be able to identify ways to reduce the risk of dying from each causeThe CausesCan you guess the top 3?#1 Heart Disease611,105 Americans died in 2013 from heart diseaseAccording to some, 99% of those deaths are 100% preventableHOW?First we have to examine what is heart disease and what causes itHeart Disease is commonly seen as atherosclerosisAtherosclerosis occurs when plaques of cholesterol form in blood vessels restricting blood flowWhat causes Heart DiseaseHeart Disease is caused mainly by the consumption of dietary cholesterol and smoking Dietary Cholesterol is only found in animal productsThe Link Between Heart Disease and Animal ProductsHaving a high cholesterol level (above 200 mg/dl) puts a person at risk for developing coronary artery diseaseEvery 100 mg of cholesterol in your daily diet adds roughly five points to your cholesterol level according to the pcrm.orgOne egg can raise your cholesterol by up to 10 points because it contains 200 mg of cholesterolPlant foods do not contain cholesterol because they dont have liversHeart Disease is Preventable and ReversibleDr. Esselstyn was the first to show how eating a whole-food plant-based diet can stop and even reverse the progression of heart diseaseHe understood the link between eating a diet rich in animal products and heart diseaseForks Over Knives clip 52.00 minute mark

#2 CancerAccording to the CDC 584,881 people died from cancer in 2013The National Cancer Institute states that 80% of cancers are due to factors that have been identified and can potentially be controlled Cancer Causes30% of cancer deaths are caused by TobaccoAccording to the American Cancer Society about one third of annual cancer deaths in the U.S. are due to dietary factors!!!!Cancer Causing CarcinogensCarcinogens are substances that directly cause cancer by affecting the genome or cellular metabolic processes Two types of carcinogens that are linked to higher rates of colorectal, pancreatic, breast, and prostate cancer are HCAs and PAHsHCAs and PAHsHeterocyclic amines (HCAs) are created during cooking/grilling ANY kind of meatNatural amino acids + sugars + creatine + heat =HCAsPolycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons are created when fat drips onto an open flame causeing a flash and sizzle that sears the chemical into the surface of the meatThis doesnt happen when cooking vegetablesAntioxidantsAntioxidants help prevent cancer cell creation by blocking the activity of free radicals which can cause cancer by damaging cellsVitamin C, E, beta-carotene, and selenium are all examples of antioxidantsFruits, vegetables, beans, and grains all contain antioxidants#3 Hospitals About 440,000 Americans die each year from preventable medical errors according to a study in the Journal of Patient SafetyThe CDC doesnt report this, it lists the #3 leading caused of death is Chronic lower respiratory diseases at 149,205 Why dont they report it? People would probably panic. The ErrorsInfections, surgical errors, overdoses, misdiagnoses, and unnecessary procedures are just a few examples Be an educated patientSummaryThe leading causes of death in America are:#1Heart Disease#2Cancer #3HospitalsHeart Disease and Cancer rates can reduced significantly by eliminating Tobacco and avoiding eating animal productsAvoiding unnecessary surgeries and staying informed as a patient can help reduce error riskReferenceshttp://www.pcrm.org/health/http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/leading-causes-of-death.htmhttp://www.masseyattorneys.com/medical-mistakes-is-the-third-leading-cause-of-death/http://www.forbes.com/sites/leahbinder/2013/09/23/stunning-news-on-preventable-deaths-in-hospitals/