New Report Links Leading Causes of Death in Upstate NY to Personal Behaviors and Lifestyle Factors

ROCHESTER, NY (10/23/2008)(readMedia)-- A new report issued today by Excellus BlueCross BlueShield shows that heart disease and cancer are upstate New York's most frequent killers, causing half of all upstate NY deaths from 2003 to 2005 (the most recent data available). Across all five upstate regions, 28.8 percent of all deaths were caused by heart disease and 23.3 percent were caused by cancer.

The findings coincide with a recently updated report from Excellus BlueCross BlueShield on the concentration and consumption of health care dollars, which identifies heart disease and cancer as the two most expensive health conditions, representing 16.9 percent of all direct health care spending in the United States. That report noted that the most common "actual" causes of death are tobacco use, poor diet and physical inactivity.

"This new report reinforces the reality that lifestyle choices directly influence regional mortality rates," said Martin Lustick, M.D., senior vice president of medical affairs and chief medical officer at Excellus BlueCross BlueShield.

According to this latest report, from 2003 to 2005 heart disease and cancer were the cause of 73,474 deaths out of a total of 141,155 deaths in the five upstate New York regions. The top six causes of death in upstate New York during this time period are as follows:

1. Rank, Cause and Number of Deaths - 2003-2005
2. 1 - Heart Disease (40,594)
3. 2 - Cancer (32,880)
4. 3 - Stroke (8,412)
5. 4 - Chronic Lower Respiratory Disease (8,192)
6. 5 - Accident (4,272)
7. 6 - Diabetes (3,663)
8. All Other (43,142)

Total = 141,155

Both the smoking prevalence rate and the cancer mortality rate in upstate New York are higher than the New York state and national averages. From 2001 to 2005, the cancer mortality rate in upstate New York was 222.7 deaths per 100,000, which compares with a New York state mortality rate average of 188.1 and a U.S. average of 191.5, according to the report. Lung cancer accounted for nearly 30 percent of the upstate mortality rate for all cancers during this period.

A 2007 report on smoking in upstate New York issued by Excellus BlueCross BlueShield noted that in 2006, 23.4 percent of adults in upstate New York smoked, compared with a New York state average of 18.2 percent and a national average of 20.0 percent. Smoking is also a contributing factor to heart disease, chronic lower respiratory disease, and stroke.

While heart disease and cancer cause the highest number of deaths overall, the leading causes of death across New York state vary by age group. Birth defects and premature births are the leading causes of death before age one. From age one to age 34, accidental death dominates as the leading cause of death. From age 35 to age 74, cancer is the leading cause of death, followed by heart disease. For those age 75 and older, heart disease becomes the leading cause of death, followed by cancer.

"By understanding how health statistics compare across our upstate communities and with statewide and national averages, we can identify opportunities to improve health outcomes through community education and prevention efforts," said Lustick. "This new report is the latest in an ongoing series of fact sheets about a wide variety of health issues; including asthma, smoking, obesity, diabetes, alcohol use and abuse, and oral health, to name a few."

The full library of reports and fact sheets, including the "Causes of Death" fact sheet, the "Concentration and Consumption of Health Care Dollars" fact sheet, and the "Smoking in Upstate New York" fact sheet, is available by going to www.excellusbcbs.com and clicking on "Policy and Research" at the bottom of the page.

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Excellus BlueCross BlueShield, a nonprofit independent licensee of the BlueCross BlueShield Association, is part of a family of companies that finances and delivers vital health care services to nearly 2 million people across upstate New York. Excellus BlueCross BlueShield provides access to high-quality, affordable health coverage, including valuable health-related resources that our members use every day, such as cost-saving prescription drug discounts and wellness tracking tools in our Step Up program. To learn more, visit http://www.excellusbcbs.com .