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United States Value:
Years of potential life lost before age 75 per 100,000 population (1-year estimate)
Additional Measures:
Appears In:
Years of potential life lost before age 75 per 100,000 population (1-year estimate)
US Value: 9,478
Top State(s): Massachusetts: 6,454
Bottom State(s): Mississippi: 15,250
Definition: Years of potential life lost before age 75 per 100,000 population (1-year estimate)
Data Source and Years(s): CDC WONDER, Multiple Cause of Death Files, 2021
Suggested Citation: America's Health Rankings analysis of CDC WONDER, Multiple Cause of Death Files, United Health Foundation, AmericasHealthRankings.org, accessed 2024.
Premature death is a measure of years of potential life lost due to death occurring before the age of 75. Deaths at younger ages contribute more to the premature death rate than deaths occurring closer to age 75. For example, a person dying at age 70 would lose five years of potential life, whereas a child dying at age five would lose 70 years of potential life.
According to the National Center for Health Statistics WISQARS Years of Potential Life Lost (YPLL) Report, unintentional injury (including drug overdose deaths, which have risen significantly in the last two decades), cancer, heart disease, COVID-19, suicide, homicide and liver disease were, in order, the leading causes of years of potential life lost before age 75 in 2020.
Risk factors for premature death include obesity, smoking and exposure to environmental hazards such as poor air quality. Risk factors for heart disease, such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, Type 2 diabetes and physical inactivity, are also risk factors for premature death. Occupational hazards and risky behaviors like not wearing seatbelts and motorcycle helmets and misusing drugs can increase the risk of unintentional injuries and premature death. Social factors such as low education, poverty, racial segregation and inadequate social support also contribute to premature death.
Populations at higher risk for premature death include:
The conditions that contribute to premature death differ from community to community and local solutions need to be found that account for specific health needs. Health officials can encourage lifestyle changes to help prevent premature deaths by reducing risk factors. These may include changes in diet, exercise, alcohol consumption and tobacco use, as well as medical treatment for chronic conditions such as depression, diabetes or hypertension.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has sponsored many health equity interventions, including:
Intervention strategies that encourage individuals to seek preventive medical care and achieve healthy lifestyles can be effective in reducing premature death by:
Increasing access to care for currently underserved minority populations is critical for decreasing premature death rates. More research is needed to determine effective methods of increasing access to behavioral health and primary care for racial and ethnic minority populations.
One of the overarching goals of Healthy People 2030 is to “attain healthy, thriving lives and well-being free of preventable disease, disability, injury and premature death.” While Healthy People 2030 does not have a specific goal for reducing premature death, it does set goals for many contributors to premature death, including:
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https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4584887/.
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