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Rural Americans At Higher Risk From Five Leading Causes of Death: CDC (cbsnews.com)

An anonymous reader quotes a report from CBS News: Americans living in rural areas are more likely to die from five leading causes of death than people living in urban areas, according to a new government report. Many of these deaths are preventable, officials say, with causes including heart disease, cancer, unintentional injuries, stroke, and chronic lower respiratory disease. Approximately 46 million Americans -- about 15 percent of the U.S. population -- currently live in rural areas. According to the CDC report, several demographic, environmental, economic, and social factors might put rural residents at higher risk of death from these conditions. Rural residents in the U.S., for example, tend to be older and sicker than their urban counterparts, and have higher rates of cigarette smoking, high blood pressure, and obesity. People living in rural areas also report less leisure-time physical activity and lower seatbelt use than their those living in urban areas and have higher rates of poverty, less access to health care, and are less likely to have health insurance. Specifically, the report found that in 2014, deaths among rural Americans included: 25,000 from heart disease; 19,000 from cancer; 12,000 from unintentional injuries; 11,000 from chronic lower respiratory disease; 4,000 from stroke. The percentages of deaths that were potentially preventable were higher in rural areas than in urban areas, the authors report. For the study, the researchers analyzed numbers from a national database. The CDC suggests to help close the gap, health care providers in rural areas can: Screen patients for high blood pressure; Increase cancer prevention and early detection; Encourage physical activity and healthy eating; Promote smoking cessation; Promote motor vehicle safety; Engage in safer prescribing of opioids for pain.

1 of 375 comments (clear)

  1. Re:Amazing by whoever57 · · Score: 1, Troll

    You people are thoroughly disgusting. You're the reason people outside The Six Cities That Matter don't trust liberals, .. blah blah...

    Let's be realistic, most rural dwellers simple could not compete if they had to live in the cities. Here in the Bay Area, anyone working a technical job has to compete with the best people from arount the world.

    You are just envious of our skills and abilities. You would prefer to drag people down to your level instead of attempting to raise yourself to our level.

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    The real "Libtards" are the Libertarians!