Mixed
Tobacco smoking and high blood pressure are the leading preventable causes of death in the United States, responsible for approximately 467,000 and 395,000 deaths respectively in 2005.
Stop smoking and manage your blood pressure. These two factors alone account for roughly 20% of all adult deaths in the US. Effective interventions exist for both, making them the highest-impact targets for improving longevity and health.
In 2005, tobacco smoking and high blood pressure were responsible for an estimated 467,000 (95% confidence interval [CI] 436,000–500,000) and 395,000 (372,000–414,000) deaths, accounting for about one in five or six deaths in US adults.
Why this rating
Based on nationally representative surveys (NHANES, NESARC), systematic reviews, meta-analyses, and NCHS mortality data with adjustments for regression dilution and confounding.
Source
The Preventable Causes of Death in the United States: Comparative Risk Assessment of Dietary, Lifestyle, and Metabolic Risk Factors
Goodarz Danaei et al. · PLoS Medicine · 2009
DOI 10.1371/journal.pmed.1000058
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