Researchers Made A List Of The Top 5 Preventable Life Shorteners

A 2017 study that examined health data from 2014 recently revealed the top 5 preventable life shorteners in the U.S.

A 2017 study that examined health data from 2014 recently revealed the top 5 preventable life shorteners and causes of death in the United States. Working together, a team of researchers from the Cleveland Clinic and New York University School of Medicine established the following top 5. Obesity, diabetes, tobacco use, high blood pressure, and elevated cholesterol, in that order, are shortening life spans across the nation.

Obesity Takes the Lead as the Top Life Shorteners

While tobacco once topped the list of preventable ways Americans die, obesity has now surpassed it. This tops the list of deadly life choices, shortening life spans by 47% more years than tobacco. These results are seemingly not surprising.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, obesity has been steadily rising since 1997. Then, 19.4% of the Americans over the age of 20 were obese. By 2015, that number had increased to 30.4%.

Diabetes came in second on the list. This too, is unsurprising, as obesity is on the rise and is “the single best predictor of type 2 diabetes.” Tobacco use and hypertension can shorten the life by almost the same amount. High cholesterol levels rounded out the top 5 preventable causes of death.

This study confirms that lifestyle choices are, in fact, linked to longevity. It is an excellent reminder that people have significant control over their health. It is possible to prevent or control every one of the life shorteners on this list. Though dangerous, high cholesterol and blood pressure respond to lifestyle changes.

Diabetes, too, can be managed and controlled. A study conducted by the National Institutes of Health showed that those with risk factors for diabetes reduced their likelihood of becoming diabetic by 58% through lifestyle changes.

Obesity can also be mastered with such changes, and tobacco use is always optional. The fact that this latter is no longer the nation’s top preventable killer proves that unhealthy habits can be altered. Medical science already knows how to prevent and control the killers on this list. This serves as an important guide detailing which unhealthy habits America needs to focus on defeating.

In short, this study sheds light on the preventable ways people are shortening their lives. Because each of these life shorteners is preventable, identifying them gives doctors and their patients the information they need to make healthier choices. Doing so can avoid or minimize the risks presented by such issues.

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Karen Jackson

Karen Jackson has always been passionate about technology. All the way through high-school she immersed herself in computers and web-design. Her ambitious nature helped her become a pro in Adobe Photoshop only by watching online videos and working with the program herself. This is also the program that she mostly uses in the creation of websites at her work-place. Technological innovation and gadgets that push the boundaries of what we are comfortable with have always fascinated her, so expect to see some weird gadget reviews coming from her.