9 Ways To Up Your Chances Of A Long & Healthy Life

Are we doing everything we can to live long and healthy lives? According to a new analysis from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), probably not.

The CDC released a report last week, which tracked Americans who die before they reach 80. What they found was that a sizable percentage of the deaths — 200,000 deaths a year — may have been preventable. Furthermore, it's possible that many of these deaths could have been prevented with lifestyle changes.

In 2010, the leading causes of death before age 80 were:

1. Heart disease
2. Cancer
3. Chronic lower respiratory disease
4. Stroke
5. Unintentional injury

But the CDC also suggests that, for some people, these disease are linked to a few risk factors that you might just be able to do something about.

Here are a few ways the CDC suggests that you can limit your risk factors for the leading causes of premature death in the United States:

1. Don’t smoke!
2. Eat well.
3. Stay in a healthy weight range.
4. Do your best to prevent high blood pressure.
5. Exercise.
6. Limit sun exposure.
7. Be cautious about drug and alcohol use.
8. Wear a helmet!
9. Drive safely.

Researchers say more study is necessary to understand why some people succumb to these diseases and why the death rates for these diseases vary wildly from state to state (with the Southeast having the highest number of deaths before age 80).

You can find out more about these causes and risk factors and read the full report here. Stay safe!

Photo Credit: Shutterstock.com

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