News
Learn How You Might Die
In May, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) put out a fascinating report that detailed the most distinctive causes of death for each state in the United States from 2001 to 2010. Similarly, Slate published a set of maps in 2014 that detail various causes of death state by state, pulled from CDC data from 2008. Not to be confused with the most common or most unique cause of death, most distinctive means the cause of death in the state that's the most disproportionate to the national average.
In general, Americans are most likely to die from heart disease or cancer, according to the CDC. There are 42 states where the most deaths are caused by heart disease, and the remaining eight are most affected by cancer. So, why do you need to know the most distinctive cause if it's not necessarily the most common?
The value of the CDC's most distinctive report lies primarily in the revelation of which disease or type of disease is killing a disproportionate number of people in each state. Distinctive diseases don't necessarily reveal how a person in each state is most likely to die, but it does reveal significant outliers and how a person's immediate environment can impact his or her health. For its study, the CDC noted the number of individuals who died from the state's most distinctive cause of death ranged anywhere "from 15,000 deaths from HIV in Florida to 679 deaths from tuberculosis in Texas to 22 deaths from syphilis in Louisiana."
So without further ado, let's take a look at what you might die from compared to Americans living in other states. First, I'll list the most distinctive cause of death from the top 10 most common causes in that state. Second, I'll say the most distinctive cause of death out of any possibilities, based on the CDC's May report.
Alabama
From the top 10: Septicemia (Septicemia is also called blood poisoning and can lead to sepsis if it is not treated)
Overall: Accidental discharge of firearms
Alaska
From the top 10: Accidents
Overall: Transit accidents, including water, air, space, and other modes of transportation
Arizona
From the top 10: Accidents
Overall: Discharge of firearms with "undetermined intent"
Arkansas
From the top 10: Septicemia
Overall: Discharge of firearms with "undetermined intent"
California
From the top 10: Influenza and pneumonia
Overall: Hyperplasia of the prostate (Hyperplasia means enlargement, and it's often an early stage of cancer)
Colorado
From the top 10: Alzheimer's
Overall: Atherosclerosis (a disease in which plaque builds up in the arteries that can lead to heart attack or stroke)
Connecticut
From the top 10: Septicemia
Overall: Inflammatory diseases of the female pelvic organs
Delaware
From the top 10: Septicemia
Overall: Heart diseases caused by atherosclerotic cardiovascular diseases
Florida
From the top 10: Accidents
Overall: HIV
Georgia
From the top 10: Septicemia
Overall: Symptoms, diseases, and other abnormal lab results that were "not otherwise specified"
Hawaii
From the top 10: Septicemia
Overall: Nutritional deficiencies
Idaho
From the top 10: Alzheimer's
Overall: Transit accidents, including water, air, space, and other modes of transportation
Illinois
From the top 10: Septicemia
Overall: Diseases of the kidneys
Indiana
From the top 10: Kidney diseases
Overall: Other and unspecified events of undetermined intent
Iowa
From the top 10: Alzheimer's
Overall: Other and unspecified acute lower respiratory infections
Kansas
From the top 10: Respiratory diseases
Overall: Other and unspecified acute lower respiratory infections
Kentucky
From the top 10: Kidney diseases
Overall: Pneumoconioses and chemical effects (Pneumoconiosis is caused by inhaling large quantities of dust. It is also referred to as black lung disease)
Louisiana
From the top 10: Kidney diseases
Overall: Syphilis (Louisiana's situation is notable, as there were only 22 HIV deaths during the range of time the CDC analyzed data. While the number of individual deaths is low, it remains a distinctive number as it is still disproportionately higher than other diseases in the state)
Maine
From the top 10: Alzheimer's
Overall: Influenza
Maryland
From the top 10: Septicemia
Overall: Other and unspecified events of undetermined intent
Massachusetts
From the top 10: Kidney diseases
Overall: Other and unspecified events of undetermined intent
Michigan
From the top 10: Heart disease
Overall: Atherosclerotic cardiovascular diseases
Minnesota
From the top 10: Alzheimer's
Overall: Unspecified acute lower respiratory infections
Mississippi
From the top 10: Septicemia
Overall: Other and unspecified malignant neoplasms of lymphoid, hematopoietic and related tissue, which refers to tumors in the lymphnodes and parts of the body that create blood cells
Missouri
From the top 10: Kidney diseases
Overall: Meningococcal infections (these diseases affect the spinal cord and brain (e.g. meningitis) and can also refer to some blood stream infections)
Montana
From the top 10: Accidents
Overall: Acute and rapidly progressing nephritic and nephrotic syndromes (Nephritic syndrome is an extreme loss of blood, and nephrotic syndrome is the excessive loss of protein through urine, which makes urine "frothy")
Nebraska
From the top 10: Respiratory diseases
Overall: Other and unspecified acute lower respiratory infections
Nevada
From the top 10: Septicemia
Overall: Legal intervention (the CDC defines this as "physical or other force used by police or other law-enforcing agents, including military on duty, in the course of arresting or attempting to arrest lawbreakers, suppressing disturbances, maintaining order, and other legal action. Includes legal execution and excludes citizen arrest")
New Hampshire
From the top 10: Alzheimer's
Overall: Other nutritional deficiencies
New Jersey
From the top 10: Septicemia
Overall: Septicemia
New Mexico
From the top 10: Accidents
Overall: Legal intervention.
New York
From the top 10: Influenza and pneumonia
Overall: Inflammatory disease of the female pelvic organs
North Carolina
From the top 10: Kidney diseases
Overall: Other nutritional deficiencies
North Dakota
From the top 10: Alzheimer's
Overall: Influenza
Ohio
From the top 10: Diabetes
Overall: Other and unspecified acute lower respiratory infections
Oklahoma
From the top 10: Respiratory diseases
Overall: Other acute ischemic heart diseases (Ischemic heart disease is also known as coronary artery disease, which is when there is a hardening of the heart's arteries)
Oregon
From the top 10: Alzheimer's
Overall: Legal intervention (as a reminder, the CDC defines this as "physical or other force used by police or other law-enforcing agents, including military on duty, in the course of arresting or attempting to arrest lawbreakers, suppressing disturbances, maintaining order, and other legal action")
Pennsylvania
From the top 10: Septicemia
Overall: Pneumoconioses and chemical effects (Pneumoconiosis is caused by inhaling large quantities of dust. It is also referred to as black lung disease)
Rhode Island
From the top 10: Heart disease
Overall: Other and unspecified events of undetermined intent
South Carolina
From the top 10: Alzheimer's
Overall: Other acute ischemic heart diseases
South Dakota
From the top 10: Accidents
Overall: Influenza
Tennessee
From the top 10: Alzheimer's
Overall: Accidental discharge of firearms
Texas
From the top 10: Septicemia
Overall: Tuberculosis
Utah
From the top 10: Diabetes
Overall: Other and unspecified events of undetermined intent
Vermont
From the top 10: Respiratory disease
Overall: Other nutritional deficiencies
Virginia
From the top 10: Septicemia
Overall: Other acute ischemic heart diseases
Washington State
From the top 10: Alzheimer's
Overall: Meningococcal infections
Washington, D.C.
From the top 10: Septicemia
Overall: HIV
West Virginia
From the top 10: Kidney diseases
Overall: Pneumoconioses and chemical effects (Pneumoconiosis is caused by inhaling large quantities of dust. It is also referred to as black lung disease)
Wisconsin
From the top 10: Accidents
Overall: Other and unspecified acute lower respiratory infections.
Wyoming
From the top 10: Accidents
Overall: Influenza
Image: CDC
