Excess deaths from nine chronic diseases in the United States, 1986.
To assess excess mortality from chronic disease in the United States, state age-adjusted combined mortality rates for nine chronic diseases in 1986 were compared with three "minimum" rates--two calculated from rates actually achieved in states and a third estimated as the mortality remaining after elimination of one risk factor for each disease. Hawaii had the lowest mortality rate of combined diseases (305/100,000); state excesses ranged from 0% to 37%. The sum of lowest disease-specific rates in any state was 284 per 100,000, indicating excesses of between 7% and 41%. A minimum mortality rate of 224 per 100,000 was estimated to result from elimination of one risk factor for each of the nine diseases, indicating state excesses from 26% to 54%, or 524,000 US deaths. Reduction of US mortality from the nine diseases to the risk factor--eliminated rate is estimated to be associated with an increased life expectancy at birth of 4 years.
Hahn
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Division of Surveillance and Epidemiologic Studies, Centers for Disease Control, Atlanta, GA 30333.
Teutsch
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SM
Rothenberg
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RB
Marks
J S
JS
D002908:Chronic Disease / Q000401:mortality*; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D008017:Life Expectancy; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012307:Risk Factors; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology