MMWR Surveillance Summary 66 (No. SS-1):1-8 found that nonmetropolitan areas have significant numbers of potentially excess deaths from the five leading causes of death. These figures accompany this report by presenting information on potentially excess deaths in nonmetropolitan and metropolitan areas at the state level. They also add additional years of data and options for selecting different age ranges and benchmarks. Potentially excess deaths are defined in MMWR Surveillance Summary 66(No. SS-1):1-8 as deaths that exceed the numbers that would be expected if the death rates of states with the lowest rates (benchmarks) occurred across all states. They are calculated by subtracting expected deaths for specific benchmarks from observed deaths. Not all potentially excess deaths can be prevented; some areas might have characteristics that predispose them to higher rates of death. However, many potentially excess deaths might represent deaths that could be prevented through improved public health programs that support healthier behaviors and neighborhoods or better access to health care services. Mortality data for U.S. residents come from the National Vital Statistics System. Estimates based on fewer than 10 observed deaths are not shown and shaded yellow on the map. Underlying cause of death is based on the International Classification of Diseases, 10th Revision (ICD-10) Heart disease (I00-I09, I11, I13, and I20–I51) Cancer (C00–C97) Unintentional injury (V01–X59 and Y85–Y86) Chronic lower respiratory disease (J40–J47) Stroke (I60–I69) Locality (nonmetropolitan vs. metropolitan) is based on the Office of Management and Budget’s 2013 county-based classification scheme. Benchmarks are based on the three states with the lowest age and cause-specific mortality rates. Potentially excess deaths for each state are calculated by subtracting deaths at the benchmark rates (expected deaths) from observed deaths. Users can explore three benchmarks: “2010 Fixed” is a fixed benchmark based on the best performing States in 2010. “2005 Fixed” is a fixed benchmark based on the best performing States in 2005. “Floating” is based on the best performing States in each year so change from year to year. SOURCES CDC/NCHS, National Vital Statistics System, mortality data (see http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/deaths.htm); and CDC WONDER (see http://wonder.cdc.gov). REFERENCES Moy E, Garcia MC, Bastian B, Rossen LM, Ingram DD, Faul M, Massetti GM, Thomas CC, Hong Y, Yoon PW, Iademarco MF. Leading Causes of Death in Nonmetropolitan and Metropolitan Areas – United States, 1999-2014. MMWR Surveillance Summary 2017; 66(No. SS-1):1-8. Garcia MC, Faul M, Massetti G, Thomas CC, Hong Y, Bauer UE, Iademarco MF. Reducing Potentially Excess Deaths from the Five Leading Causes of Death in the Rural United States. MMWR Surveillance Summary 2017; 66(No. SS-2):1–7.

In 2022, the states with the highest death rates due to heart disease were Oklahoma, Mississippi, and Alabama. That year, there were around 257 deaths due to heart disease per 100,000 population in the state of Oklahoma. In comparison, the overall death rate from heart disease in the United States was 167 per 100,000 population. The leading cause of death in the United States Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States, accounting for 21 percent of all deaths in 2022. That year, cancer was the second leading cause of death, followed by unintentional injuries and COVID-19. In the United States, a person has a one in six chance of dying from heart disease. Death rates for heart disease are higher among men than women, but both have seen steady decreases in heart disease death rates since the 1950s. What are risk factors for heart disease? Although heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States, the risk of heart disease can be decreased by avoiding known risk factors. Some of the leading preventable risk factors for heart disease include smoking, heavy alcohol use, physical inactivity, an unhealthy diet, and being overweight or obese. It is no surprise that the states with the highest rates of death from heart disease are also the states with the highest rates of heart disease risk factors. For example, Oklahoma, the state with the highest heart disease death rate, is also the state with the third-highest rate of obesity. Furthermore, Mississippi is the state with the highest levels of physical inactivity, and it has the second-highest heart disease death rate in the United States.

Rank, number of deaths, percentage of deaths, and age-specific mortality rates for the leading causes of death, by age group and sex, 2000 to most recent year.

Between 1970 and 1988, major cardiovascular diseases were the most common cause of death in both the United States and Soviet Union. However, the death rate in the U.S. fell between the given years, whereas the USSR's rate increased significantly, especially during the 1970s. Malignancies (i.e. cancers) were the second most common cause of death, with both death rates rising over time. Other causes that that varied greatly between the two countries were accidents and adverse effects, where the USSR's rate was almost double that of the U.S. in 1980; pulmonary diseases, where the U.S. rate was higher in 1988 despite having been four times lower in 1970; and diabetes, where the U.S. rate was higher by a factor of 11 in 1970 and a factor of four in 1988.

There were, of course, variations between the two countries in their standards of diagnosis and the classification of causes of death, with U.S. records generally thought to be more accurate, whereas the USSR's rates improved with time. The Soviet Union also did not provide separate data for deaths caused by liver disease or pneumonia/influenza, possibly due to the rise and prevalence of alcohol-related deaths during the given period, which the government wished to downplay. Preventable deaths related to alcohol and substance abuse (including tobacco) were major factors in the Soviet Union's high death rates in certain categories, such as accidental deaths, pulmonary disease, and suicides. In contrast, the U.S.' higher rate of diabetes deaths has been attribute to an increase in levels of Type 2 diabetes, which is most-commonly caused by lifestyle and dietary factors.

BackgroundWhile the high prevalence of preterm births and its impact on infant mortality in the US have been widely acknowledged, recent data suggest that even full-term births in the US face substantially higher mortality risks compared to European countries with low infant mortality rates. In this paper, we use the most recent birth records in the US to more closely analyze the primary causes underlying mortality rates among full-term births.Methods and findingsLinked birth and death records for the period 2010–2012 were used to identify the state- and cause-specific burden of infant mortality among full-term infants (born at 37–42 weeks of gestation). Multivariable logistic models were used to assess the extent to which state-level differences in full-term infant mortality (FTIM) were attributable to observed differences in maternal and birth characteristics. Random effects models were used to assess the relative contribution of state-level variation to FTIM. Hypothetical mortality outcomes were computed under the assumption that all states could achieve the survival rates of the best-performing states. A total of 10,175,481 infants born full-term in the US between January 1, 2010, and December 31, 2012, were analyzed. FTIM rate (FTIMR) was 2.2 per 1,000 live births overall, and ranged between 1.29 (Connecticut, 95% CI 1.08, 1.53) and 3.77 (Mississippi, 95% CI 3.39, 4.19) at the state level. Zero states reached the rates reported in the 6 low-mortality European countries analyzed (FTIMR < 1.25), and 13 states had FTIMR > 2.75. Sudden unexpected death in infancy (SUDI) accounted for 43% of FTIM; congenital malformations and perinatal conditions accounted for 31% and 11.3% of FTIM, respectively. The largest mortality differentials between states with good and states with poor FTIMR were found for SUDI, with particularly large risk differentials for deaths due to sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) (odds ratio [OR] 2.52, 95% CI 1.86, 3.42) and suffocation (OR 4.40, 95% CI 3.71, 5.21). Even though these mortality differences were partially explained by state-level differences in maternal education, race, and maternal health, substantial state-level variation in infant mortality remained in fully adjusted models (SIDS OR 1.45, suffocation OR 2.92). The extent to which these state differentials are due to differential antenatal care standards as well as differential access to health services could not be determined due to data limitations. Overall, our estimates suggest that infant mortality could be reduced by 4,003 deaths (95% CI 2,284, 5,587) annually if all states were to achieve the mortality levels of the best-performing state in each cause-of-death category. Key limitations of the analysis are that information on termination rates at the state level was not available, and that causes of deaths may have been coded differentially across states.ConclusionsMore than 7,000 full-term infants die in the US each year. The results presented in this paper suggest that a substantial share of these deaths may be preventable. Potential improvements seem particularly large for SUDI, where very low rates have been achieved in a few states while average mortality rates remain high in most other areas. Given the high mortality burden due to SIDS and suffocation, policy efforts to promote compliance with recommended sleeping arrangements could be an effective first step in this direction.

In 2021, the average mortality rate across OECD countries from preventable causes stood at 158 deaths per 100,000 population. This varied widely from just 83 deaths in Israel to 435 preventable deaths in Mexico per 100,000 population. The OECD defines preventable mortality as causes of death amongst people aged under 75 years that can be mainly avoided through effective public health and primary prevention interventions (i.e. before the onset of disease/injury, to reduce incidence). Treatable (or amenable mortality is defined as causes of death that can be mainly avoided through timely and effective health care interventions including secondary prevention and treatment (i.e. after the onset of disease, to reduce case fatality). This statistic presents the mortality rates from preventable causes worldwide in 2021, by country.

The leading cause of death in low-income countries worldwide in 2021 was lower respiratory infections, followed by stroke and ischemic heart disease. The death rate from lower respiratory infections that year was 59.4 deaths per 100,000 people. While the death rate from stroke was around 51.6 per 100,000 people. Many low-income countries suffer from health issues not seen in high-income countries, including infectious diseases, malnutrition and neonatal deaths, to name a few. Low-income countries worldwide Low-income countries are defined as those with per gross national incomes (GNI) per capita of 1,045 U.S. dollars or less. A majority of the world’s low-income countries are located in sub-Saharan Africa and South East Asia. Some of the lowest-income countries as of 2023 include Burundi, Sierra Leone, and South Sudan. Low-income countries have different health problems that lead to worse health outcomes. For example, Chad, Lesotho, and Nigeria have some of the lowest life expectancies on the planet. Health issues in low-income countries Low-income countries also tend to have higher rates of HIV/AIDS and other infectious diseases as a consequence of poor health infrastructure and a lack of qualified health workers. Eswatini, Lesotho, and South Africa have some of the highest rates of new HIV infections worldwide. Likewise, tuberculosis, a treatable condition that affects the respiratory system, has high incident rates in lower income countries. Other health issues can be affected by the income of a country as well, including maternal and infant mortality. In 2023, Afghanistan had one of the highest rates of infant mortality rates in the world.

Problem:• Opioid overdoses claim a life every 24 minutes in the United States, and five people a day in Massachusetts.1• Not since the AIDS epidemic of the 1980s and 1990s has Massachusetts seen such a sharp increase in a single category of deaths.2• Opioid overdoses are the leading cause of preventable deaths for all Americans under the age of 50.3• On October 26th, 2017, President Trump declared the opioid crisis a Public Health Emergency, failing to fulfill his promise to declare a National Emergency on opioids.4Project Overview:• Illustrate how Massachusetts is impacted by the opioid epidemic, and how it is extending across the state.

• Show the distribution of 'Naloxone Pharmacies' across Massachusetts to identify locations without access.

• Highlight the correlation between crime and opioid overdoses in Cambridge.

• Identify suitable street corners for the installation of naloxone dispensaries, focusing on Cambridge, MA.Data:• Cambridge Police Department’s Crime Analysis Unit and Special Investigation Unit provided addresses reported as suspected opioid overdoses in 2016. • State-wide opioid data were publicly available via Massachusetts Department of Public Health, and through the Chapter 55 legislative report. • The list of pharmacies with standing orders of naloxone was also publicly available via Executive Office of Health & Human Services.

Maternal mortality rates can vary significantly around the world. For example, in 2022, Estonia had a maternal mortality rate of zero per 100,000 live births, while Mexico reported a rate of 38 deaths per 100,000 live births. However, the regions with the highest number of maternal deaths are Sub-Saharan Africa and Southern Asia, with differences between countries and regions often reflecting inequalities in health care services and access. Most causes of maternal mortality are preventable and treatable with the most common causes including severe bleeding, infections, complications during delivery, high blood pressure during pregnancy, and unsafe abortion. Maternal mortality in the United States In 2022, there were a total of 817 maternal deaths in the United States. Women aged 25 to 39 years accounted for 578 of these deaths, however, rates of maternal mortality are much higher among women aged 40 years and older. In 2022, the rate of maternal mortality among women aged 40 years and older in the U.S. was 87 per 100,000 live births, compared to a rate of 21 among women aged 25 to 39 years. The rate of maternal mortality in the U.S. has risen in recent years among all age groups. Differences in maternal mortality in the U.S. by race/ethnicity Sadly, there are great disparities in maternal mortality in the United States among different races and ethnicities. In 2022, the rate of maternal mortality among non-Hispanic white women was about 19 per 100,000 live births, while non-Hispanic Black women died from maternal causes at a rate of almost 50 per 100,000 live births. Rates of maternal mortality have risen for white and Hispanic women in recent years, but Black women have by far seen the largest increase in maternal mortality. In 2022, around 253 Black women died from maternal causes in the United States.

The mortality rate from influenza in the United States is by far highest among those aged 65 years and older. During the 2023-2024 flu season, the mortality rate from influenza for this age group was around 32.1 per 100,000 population. The burden of influenza The impact of influenza in the U.S. varies from season to season, but in the 2023-2024 flu season, there were an estimated 40 million cases. These cases resulted in around 470,000 hospitalizations. Although most people recover from influenza without requiring medical treatment, the disease can be deadly for young children, the elderly, and those with weakened immune systems or chronic illnesses. During the 2023-2024 flu season, around 28,000 people in the U.S. lost their lives due to influenza. Impact of vaccinations The most effective way to prevent influenza is to receive an annual vaccination at the beginning of flu season. Flu vaccines are safe and can greatly reduce the burden of the disease. During the 2022-2023 flu season, vaccinations prevented around 2,479 deaths among those aged 65 years and older. Although flu vaccines are usually cheap and easily accessible, every year a large share of the population in the U.S. still does not get vaccinated. For example, during the 2022-2023 flu season, only about 35 percent of those aged 18 to 49 years received a flu vaccination.

Motor vehicle accidents were the most likely type of transportation to cause preventable deaths in the United States, with a person born in 2020 having a one in 101 chance of dying in a motor vehicle accident. At the other end of the scale is bus travel, where passengers have a one in 305,644 chance of being in a fatal accident.

As of 2023, the U.S. states with the highest smoking rates included West Virginia, Tennessee, and Louisiana. In West Virginia, around 20 percent of all adults smoked as of this time. The number of smokers in the United States has decreased over the past decades. Who smokes? The smoking rates for both men and women have decreased for many years, but men continue to smoke at higher rates than women. As of 2021, around 13 percent of men were smokers compared to 10 percent of women. Concerning race and ethnicity, smoking is least prevalent among Asians with just five percent of this population smoking compared to 13 percent of non-Hispanic whites. Health impacts of smoking The negative health impacts of smoking are vast. Smoking increases the risk of heart disease, stroke, and many different types of cancers. For example, smoking is estimated to be attributable to 81 percent of all deaths from lung cancer among adults 30 years and older in the United States. Smoking is currently the leading cause of preventable death in the United States.

Per capita cigarette consumption in the United States has decreased in recent years, with smokers in 2015 consuming an average of 1,078 cigarettes per capita. In total, there were around 267 billion cigarettes consumed in the U.S. that year. Cigarette consumption in the U.S. has decreased due to public policies limiting where people can smoke, higher taxes on cigarettes, and increased awareness by the general public of the health risks associated with smoking.

Smokers in the U.S.

Even though cigarette consumption has decreased, there are still around 38 million people in the U.S. who regularly smoke cigarettes. This is around 15.5 percent of the entire population. However, in the year 2000, 23 percent of the population smoked, a significant difference from present day figures. Smoking remains more common among males than females and rates of smoking among adolescents have decreased.

Health risks

Smoking has been proven to increase the risk of a variety of diseases and is the leading cause of preventable death in the U.S. Smoking harms almost every organ in the body and increases a person’s chance of developing lung cancer, heart disease, and stroke. For example, men who smoke are 25 times more likely to develop lung cancer than men who don’t smoke. Furthermore, around 81 percent of all deaths from lung, bronchus and trachea cancer can be attributed to cigarette smoking.