The leading diseases that cause death account for almost 75% of all
deaths; and, the top 3 diseases account for over 50% of all deaths in
the United States. During the past 10 years, the main culprits have
remained relatively the same.
As shown in the bar chart above, the diseases that are the leading cause of death are:
-- Heart Disease
-- Cancer
-- Stroke
-- Respiratory Disease
-- Diabetes
Other top diseases include:
-- Influenza/Pneumonia
-- Alzheimer's
-- Kidney Disease
Heart Disease
Heart
disease is the leading cause of death for both men and women in the US
and also the leading cause of death worldwide. More than half of the
deaths that occur as a result of heart disease are in men.
Heart
disease is the leading cause of death for people of most ethnicities in
the United States, including African Americans, Hispanic Americans, and Caucasian Americans.
For Native Americans, Alaska Natives and Asians or Pacific Islanders,
heart disease is second only to cancer.
In heart disease, as
the plaque builds up, the arteries narrow, making it more difficult for
blood to flow and creating a risk for heart attack or stroke.
The
key to preventing death from heart disease is to protect the heart and
know the warning signs and symptoms of a heart attack.
More Information About Heart Disease
Heart
disease is the leading cause of death for both men and women. More than
half of the deaths due to heart disease in 2009 were in men.
About 611,000 Americans die from heart disease each year—that’s 1 in every 4 deaths.
Coronary heart disease is the most common type of heart disease, killing more than 370,000 people annually.
In
the United States, someone has a heart attack every 43 seconds. Each
minute, someone in the United States dies from a heart disease-related
event.
Heart disease is the leading cause of death for
people of most racial/ethnic groups in the United States, including
African Americans, Hispanics, and whites. For Asian Americans or Pacific
Islanders and American Indians or Alaska Natives, heart disease is
second only to cancer.
Coronary heart disease costs the
US $108.9 billion each year and is the most common type of heart
disease.This total includes the cost of health care services,
medications, and lost productivity.
Note: Heart disease is a term used to describe several problems related to plaque buildup in the walls of the arteries.
Heart Attacks
Ever since statin drugs were introduced in 1989, heart disease and heart attacks have gradually increased every year.There are 350,000 heart attacks every year, with xx,000 being fatal.
About 580,000 people in the U.S. suffer heart attacks each year. Of
these, 410,000 are a first heart attack and 165,000 happen in people who
have already had a heart attack.
Most
heart attacks are caused by a blood clot that blocks one of the
coronary arteries, the blood vessels that bring blood and oxygen to the
heart muscle. When blood cannot reach part of your heart, that area
starves for oxygen. If the blockage continues long enough, cells in the
affected area die.
Note: People drop dead suddenly from a heart attack for many reasons, including:
-- Plaque buildup that breaks off a large blood clot
-- Blockage in the widow-maker
-- Electrical signal malfunction
-- Medications
-- Not getting tested
-- Ignoring the signs
-- Wrong blood tests
-- Stress
-- Misdiagnosis
Note: Refer to our blog post about the 7 warning signs of a possible impending heart attack.
Cancer
Cancer is the second-leading cause of death for both men and women in the US
and also the second-leading cause of death in many other countries. Based on the current growth of cancer cases, cancer will surpass heart disease and become the leading cause of death within 3 to 5 years.
Cancer is the name given to a collection of related diseases. In all
types of cancer, some of the body’s cells begin to divide out of control without
stopping and spread into surrounding tissues.
There
are more than 200 types of cancer, including breast cancer, skin cancer,
lung cancer, colon cancer, prostate cancer, bone cancer and lymphoma. Symptoms vary
depending on the type of cancer. Conventional cancer treatment usually includes chemotherapy,
radiation, and/or surgery.
Cancer can start almost
anywhere in the human body, which is made up of 100 trillion cells.
Normally, human cells grow and divide to form new cells as the body
needs them. When cells grow old or become damaged, they die, and new
cells take their place.
When cancer develops, however,
this orderly process breaks down. As cells become more and more
abnormal, old or damaged cells survive when they should die, and new
cells form when they are not needed. These extra cells can divide
without stopping and may form growths called tumors.
Many
cancers form solid tumors, which are masses of tissue. Cancers of the
blood, such as leukemias, generally do not form solid tumors.
Cancerous
tumors are malignant, which means that they can spread into, or invade,
nearby tissues. In addition, as these tumors grow, some cancer cells can
break off and travel to distant places in the body through the blood or
the lymph system and form new tumors far from the original tumor -- this is known as metastasis.
Unlike
malignant tumors, benign tumors do not spread into, or invade, nearby
tissues. Benign tumors can sometimes be quite large, however. When
removed, they usually don’t grow back, whereas malignant tumors
sometimes do. Unlike most benign tumors elsewhere in the body, benign
brain tumors can be life threatening.
Differences Between Cancer Cells and Normal Cells
Cancer
cells differ from normal cells in many ways that allow them to grow out
of control and become invasive. One important difference is that cancer
cells are less specialized than normal cells. That is, whereas normal
cells mature into very distinct cell types with specific functions,
cancer cells do not. This is one reason that, unlike normal cells,
cancer cells continue to divide without stopping.
In
addition, cancer cells are able to ignore signals that normally tell
cells to stop dividing or to start a process known as programmed cell
death (apoptosis), which the body uses to get rid of unneeded cells.
Cancer
cells may be able to influence the normal cells, molecules, and blood
vessels that surround and feed a tumor—an area known as the
microenvironment. For instance, cancer cells can induce nearby normal
cells to form blood vessels that supply tumors with oxygen and
nutrients, which they need to grow.
Cancer cells are also often
able to evade the immune system, a network of organs, tissues, and
specialized cells that protects the body from infections and other
conditions. Although the immune system normally removes damaged or
abnormal cells from the body, some cancer cells are able to “hide” from
the immune system and grow undetected.
Tumors can also use the immune
system to stay alive and grow. For example, with the help of certain
immune system cells that normally prevent a runaway immune response,
cancer cells can actually keep the immune system from killing cancer
cells.
Cancer affects men and woman of all ages, races and ethnicities. The
National Institute of Health (NIH) estimates the total costs of cancer
in 2009 were $216.6 billion: $86.6 billion for direct medical costs and
$130.0 billion for indirect mortality costs.
Stroke (Cerebrovascular Diseases)
Cerebrovascular
diseases are conditions that develop as a result of problems with the
blood vessels that supply the brain. Four of the most common types of
cerebrovascular disease are:
Stroke
Transient ischemic attack (TIA)
Subarachnoid hemorrhage
Vascular dementia.
Every
year more than 795,000 people in the US have a stroke; risk of having a
stroke varies with race, ethnicity, age and geography. Risk of stroke
increases with age, yet in 2009 34% of people hospitalized for stroke
were younger than 65 years.
The highest death rates from stroke in the US occur in the southeast.
Respiratory Disease
Chronic
lower respiratory disease (CLRD) is a collection of lung diseases that
cause airflow blockage and breathing-related issues, including primarily
chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) but also bronchitis,
emphysema and asthma.
A study released by The American
College of Chest Physicians (CHEST) estimated that 16.4 million days of
work were lost annually because of COPD, and total absenteeism costs
were $3.9 billion. Of the medical costs, 18% was paid for by private
insurance, 51% by Medicare, and 25% by Medicaid. National medical costs
are projected to increase from $32.1 billion in 2010 to $49.0 billion in
2020.
Diabetes
Diabetes
is a disease in which blood glucose levels are above normal. The
pancreas, an organ that lies near the stomach, makes a hormone called
insulin to help glucose get into the cells of our bodies. When a person
has diabetes, the body either does not make enough insulin or cannot use
insulin as well as it should. This causes glucose to build up in the
blood.
Diabetes can cause serious health complications
including heart disease, blindness, kidney failure, and lower-extremity
amputations.
Type 1 diabetes, which was previously
called insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM) or juvenile-onset
diabetes, may account for about 5% of all diagnosed cases of diabetes.
Type
2 diabetes, which was previously called non-insulin-dependent diabetes
mellitus (NIDDM) or adult-onset diabetes, may account for about 90-95%
of all diagnosed cases of diabetes.
The estimated costs
of diabetes in the US in 2012 was $245 billion. Direct medical costs
accounted for $176 billion of that total and indirect costs such as
disability, work loss and premature death accounted for $69 billion.
Food for Thought
Since
diabetes causes major damage to the arteries (macrovascular &
microvascular), that means that 4 out of the 5 top killer diseases are
associated with our cardiovascular system. In addition, two of the top
health conditions (high blood pressure, high cholesterol) that affect
more than 100 million Americans are associated with the cardiovascular
system.
Therefore, it shouldn't surprise us when someone drops dead of a heart attack. Maybe something is being overlooked here ...
Other Top Diseases
Other top diseases include:
-- Influenza/Pneumonia
-- Alzheimer's
-- Kidney Disease
Note:
Although obesity is not listed as a disease, it should be, especially
since more than two-thirds (68.8%) of adults in the U.S. are overweight
or obese; and, obesity is a major risk factor for the top 3 diseases.
FYI:
Every year, about 35 million people visit the hospital (average 4.8
days stay) in the U.S. That's about 96,000 people a day.
Every year, about 2.5 million people die in the U.S. (56 million
worldwide). In the U.S., that's roughly 6800 people that die each day
(153,000 worldwide).
Note: Globally, the top 3 diseases are the same around the world as they are in the United States.
Influenza and Pneumonia
Influenza (flu) is a highly contagious viral infection that is one of
the most severe illnesses of the winter season. The reason influenza is
more prevalent in the winter is not known; however, data suggest the
virus survives and is transmitted better in cold temperatures. Influenza
is spread easily from person to person, usually when an infected person
coughs or sneezes.
Influenza can be complicated by
pneumonia, which is a serious infection or inflammation of the lungs.
The air sacs fill with pus and other liquid, blocking oxygen from
reaching the bloodstream. If there is too little oxygen in the blood,
the body's cells cannot work properly, which can lead to death.
Pneumonia
can have over 30 different causes, including various chemicals,
bacteria, viruses, mycoplasmas and other infectious agents such as
pneumocystis (fungi).
Together, pneumonia and influenza
cost the US economy more than $40.2 billion in 2005. This figure
includes more than $6 billion due to indirect costs (such as time lost
from work) and $34.2 billion due to direct costs (such as medical
expenses).
Influenza accounts for 1,532 deaths annually and pneumonia 52,294.
Alzheimer's Disease
Dementia
is an overall term for diseases and conditions characterized by a
decline in memory or other thinking skills that affect a person's
ability to perform everyday activities. Dementia is caused by damage to
nerve cells in the brain which are called neurons. As a result of the
damage, neurons can no longer function normally and may die. This, in
turn, can lead to changes in memory, behavior and the ability to think
clearly.
For people with Alzheimer's disease, the
damage and death of neurons eventually impair the ability to carry out
basic bodily functions such as walking and swallowing.
People
in the final stages of the disease are bed-bound and require
around-the-clock care. Alzheimer's is ultimately fatal. Alzheimer's
disease accounts for 60-80% of dementia cases.
An
estimated 5.2 million Americans may have Alzheimer's disease in 2014,
including approximately 200,000 individuals younger than age 65 who have
younger-onset Alzheimer's.
Almost two-thirds of
American seniors living with Alzheimer's are women. Of the 5 million
people age 65 and older with Alzheimer's in the US, 3.2 million are
women, and 1.8 million are men.
In 2013, 15.5 million
family and friends provided 17.7 billion hours of unpaid care to those
with Alzheimer's and other dementias - care valued at $220.2 billion,
which is nearly eight times the total revenue of McDonald's in 2012.
Alzheimer's
disease is one of the most expensive conditions in the nation. In 2014,
the direct costs to American society of caring for those with
Alzheimer's will total an estimated $214 billion, including $150 billion
in costs to Medicare and Medicaid. Despite these staggering figures,
Alzheimer's will cost an estimated $1.2 trillion (in today's dollars) in
2050.
A woman's estimated lifetime risk of developing
Alzheimer's at age 65 is 1 in 6, compared with nearly 1 in 11 for a man.
As real a concern as breast cancer is to women's health, women in their
60s are about twice as likely to develop Alzheimer's during the rest of
their lives as they are to develop breast cancer.
Kidney Disease
Chronic
kidney disease (CKD) is a condition in which the kidneys are damaged
and cannot filter blood as well as healthy kidneys. Because of this,
waste from the blood remains in the body and may cause other health
problems.
It is estimated that more than 10% of adults
in the US - more than 20 million people - may have CKD, of varying
levels of seriousness. The chances of having CKD increase with age; it
increases after 50 years of age and is most common among adults older
than 70 years.
Chronic kidney disease is widespread and costly, costing Medicare upward of $41 billion annually.
Awareness
and understanding about kidney disease is critically low, with an
estimated 26 million Americans having chronic kidney disease. Among
those with severe (stage 4) kidney disease, fewer than half realize that
they have damaged kidneys.
Note:
Although obesity is not listed as a major disease, it should be,
especially since more than two-thirds (68.8%) of adults are considered
to be overweight or obese; and, obesity is a major risk factor for the
top 3 diseases.
FYI:
Every year, about 35 million people visit the hospital (average 4.8
days stay) in the U.S. That's about 96,000 people a day.
Every
year, about 2.5 million people die in the U.S. (56 million worldwide).
In the U.S., that's roughly 6800 people a day that die (153,000
worldwide).
Note: Globally, the top 3 diseases are the same around the world as they are in the United States.
Good News
Although
many of these disease are increasing each year, there are
still strategies and activities that we can implement to prevent these diseases and, in some cases, even reverse
the effects of these diseases.
The most important thing that you can do right now is to
educate yourself about disease and nutrition, and why prescription drugs are
not the answer, especially long term.
Then, be proactive and begin to gradually change your diet over time. If you don't like the idea of changing your diet, then, do it gradually and keep some of your favorite foods or comfort foods as part of your diet. That way you'll have a better chance of sticking with the diet. Also, the really nice thing about this kind of proactive strategy is that if you should develop one of these diseases, then, it will take you a lot less time to implement the complete diet and go "all in".
In future blog posts, we will discuss specific steps that you can take for each of these diseases, including specific foods, supplements and compounds that actually
kill cancer cells.
In
addition, we will also discuss the Number 1 problem that is fueling
these diseases along with the top 3 major nutritional deficiencies that
are fueling many of the top 10 diseases, especially heart disease,
cancer, and diabetes -- along with obesity, chronic fatigue and many
autoimmune diseases.
We will also discuss why the supplements you're taking right now
aren't really working and may actually be fueling a nutrient deficiency
that is going undetected.
Note: For more details, refer to the DTD online training program and the DTD books/ebooks on heart disease,
cancer, diabetes and autoimmune diseases.
References:
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Centers for Disease Control (CDC)
