Heart disease, tobacco leading causes of global deaths in 2016
Chronic diseases, including heart disease and diabetes, caused 72 percent of deaths worldwide in 2016, according to the recently released Global Burden of Disease study.
The study, published in The Lancet last week, found that cardiovascular disease (CVD), tobacco and violence were the leading causes of death across the globe last year, with heart disease as the leading cause of premature death in most regions. Cardiovascular disease (CVD) killed 9.48 million people worldwide in 2016, Reuters reported.
More than 1 billion people were found to have been living with mental illness last year, and major depressive disorder was one of the top 10 causes of ill health in nearly every country. Deaths due to conflict and violence were on the rise, as were deaths associated with poor diet and obesity.
The study found that life expectancy was increasing worldwide, but it’s not all good news. As life expectancy rises, so is the proportion of people in poor health, according to the research.
Read the full Reuters report here:
After graduating from Indiana University-Bloomington with a bachelor’s in journalism, Anicka joined TriMed’s Chicago team in 2017 covering cardiology. Close to her heart is long-form journalism, Pilot G-2 pens, dark chocolate and her dog Harper Lee.