In the fall of 2018, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued sobering data showing the U.S. life expectancy actually declined for the second time in three years, from 78.7 years in 2016 to 78.6 years in 2017. Though the numbers may seem insignificant on the surface, any decline in a highly industrialized nation with public education, a sanitation system, access to the latest technologies and life-saving medications seems out of place.
The decline, per the report, was mostly due to the increases in opioid deaths and suicide – two preventable causes of death.
Some 70,000 more people died in 2017 than 2016, totaling over 2.8 million deaths. Death rates rose significantly in the age ranges of 25-34 years, 35-44 years, and 85 and older, while death rates actually dropped in the middle-aged category of 45-54 years.
Heart disease, cancer, unintentional injuries, chronic lower respiratory diseases, stroke, Alzheimer’s disease, diabetes, influenza and pneumonia, kidney disease, and suicide still make up the 10 leading causes of death.
So, you may be asking yourself, why start out on such a depressing note in 2019? Why not a more uplifting story to start the new year? My answer: what better way to motivate you than to share the harsh reality of the facts?
Not all health conditions are totally avoidable depending on family history, but some are definitely preventable, such as opioid addiction. Using pain meds appropriately and in the right settings and keeping them out of the hands of young people are the first steps in prevention. Having medications such as Narcan readily available for overdoses and providing the necessary treatment for opioid use disorder are additional resources that are becoming standard practice to help curb this epidemic.
Though family history may contribute to cancer, heart disease, and stroke diagnoses, smoking cigarettes and obesity are the sparks that can start the flame. Cigarette smoking harms almost every organ in your body and is the cause of 1 in 5 deaths. Per the CDC, the risk of dying from cigarette smoking has increased over the last 50 years in the U.S. Even smoking as few as five cigarettes a day can cause cardiovascular disease.
Therefore, do yourself a favor. If you don’t smoke, don’t start. And, if you do smoke, get help immediately. There are so many resources available for smoking cessation. Call your doctor now!
Almost half of all non-Hispanic blacks and Hispanics are obese. Over one-third of the U.S. population in 2015-2016 was obese. In 2008, the annual medical cost of obesity was $147 billion. Obesity can contribute to over 60 health conditions, such as osteoarthritis, diabetes, hypertension, and cancer.
Therefore, if you are currently not overweight or obese, try to keep it that way. And, if you are struggling with your weight, seek help from not only your doctor but your local gym and a dietician.
Year 2019 and years to come can be hopeful, not only in a physical sense but also spiritually and emotionally – if you want it to be. Each of us has to be willing to accept those things we cannot change but be mindful of those things that we can change. Let’s map out a different course for ourselves and start laying out a foundation of good health for generations to come.
Denise Hooks-Anderson, M.D., is medical accuracy editor of The St. Louis American and assistant professor at SLUCare Family Medicine. Email: yourhealthmatters@stlamerican.com.
