by Patty Strilaeff

Created on: August 25, 2009

It seems obvious that the best way to stay healthy is to avoid the leading causes of death. .

The good news: Our life expectancy in the United States is at an all-time high.

The bad news: It isn't because we are healthier.

According to Dr. David L. Katz, director of the Prevention Research Center at Yale University School of Medicine, our new found longevity is most likely due to the ability of high-tech, high-cost medicine to forestall death despite a growing burden of chronic disease.

The really good news: Instead of treating these diseases and artificially prolonging life, we can do a great deal to prevent them in the first place while significantly increasing the quality of our lives.

Following is a list of the ten leading causes of all U.S. deaths in 2006 by percent, followed by their most common preventative measures:

1. Heart disease - 26%

Don't smoke

Eat a healthy diet

Exercise

Maintain a healthy weight

2. Cancer - 23%

Don't smoke

Eat a healthy diet

Exercise

3. Strokes - 6%

Don't smoke

Eat a healthy diet

Exercise

Maintain a healthy weight

Don't abuse drugs or alcohol

4. Chronic lower respiratory diseases - 5%

Don't smoke

Avoid second-hand smoke and other pollutants

5. Accidents (unintentional injuries) - 5%

Drive safely

Strength training an exercise (helps prevent injuries from falls)

Don't abuse drugs or alcohol

Avoid risky and careless behavior

6. Diabetes - 3%

Eat a healthy diet

Exercise

Maintain a healthy weight

7. Alzheimer's disease - 3%

Eat a healthy diet

Maintain a healthy weight

Exercise your body and your brain

Stay socially active

8. Influenza and pneumonia - 2%

Wash your hands and avoid crowds during flu season

Eat a healthy diet

Exercise

Get adequate sleep

9. Kidney disease - 2%

Eat a healthy diet

Exercise

Maintain a healthy weight

Drink water

Prevent UTI's (urinary tract infections)

10. Septicemia (blood poisoning) - 1%

Keep your immune system healthy with a proper diet, exercise and sleep

Treat cuts and burns to avoid infections

Take steps to avoid cancer, kidney failure, HIV, AIDS, injuries, diabetes and Pneumonia

These 10 causes accounted for 76% of deaths in 2006, but a summary of the most effective lifestyle changes to prevent them reveals a surprisingly short and familiar list:

Don't smoke (and avoid being around others that are smoking)

Eat a healthy diet

Exercise

Maintain a healthy weight

Don't abuse drugs or alcohol

Avoid high risk activities

Stay socially active

Get adequate sleep

Drink water

Practice good hygiene

Modern medicine may help us live relatively long lives Katz said, "but to prosper, we must do a far better job of cultivating health at its origins." Incorporating the above ten lifestyle changes is a sure way to do just that.

http://www.cdc.gov

http://www.mayoclinic.com

http://www.ajc.com/health/content/shared-auto/health news/age-/630189.html

Learn more about this author, Patty Strilaeff.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.