1. HEART DISEASE - coronary heart failure - common causes: high cholesterol, old age, smoking, high blood pressure
2. CEREBROVASCULAR DISEASE - stroke - common causes: high blood pressure, old age, smoking, heart disease
*note - causes of hypertension (high blood pressure) - sedentary lifestyle, obesity, sensitivity to sodium, alcohol intake, vitamin D deficiency
3. LOWER RESPIRATORY INFECTION - bronchitis, pneumonia - common cause: bacterial infection *bacteria develop increasing resistance to antibiotic treatments
4. HIV/AIDS - common causes: unprotected sex, intravenous drug use, contaminated medical equipment
5. CHRONIC OBSTRUCTIVE PULMONARY DISEASE - chronic bronchitis, emphysema - common causes: smoking, air pollution, chemical exposure, dust
6. PERINATAL CONDITIONS - mortality associated with childbirth - some factors: bacterial infections, sexually transmitted diseases, premature birth, severe malformation
7. DIARRHEAL DISEASES - bacterial contamination - common cause: contaminated drinking water
8. TUBERCULOSIS - airborne bacterial disease - less common in developed countries, great increase (30%) in people with silicosis - a condition often caused by paint, concrete, or portland cement exposure
9. MALARIA - tropical parasite - common cause: mosquito bite. resistance to treatments, ongoing vaccination unaffordable
10. TRACHEA, BRONCHUS, LUNG CANCER - common causes: smoking, genetics, air pollution
ok, so here's some final thoughts: diseases related to lifestyle: 5 of the top ten. diseases related to environmental contaminants: 5 of top ten. diseases related to poor/lack of infrastructure: 4 of the top ten. hmmm. i wonder how these are interrelated? maybe there are really THREE DISEASES.
KILLING OURSELVES
KILLING THE EARTH
KILLING EACH OTHER
