Iowa ranks third in the nation for percentage of deaths due to the four chronic diseases. Numbers one and two are Rhode Island and New Hampshire. One reason for Iowa's high ranking may be the large proportion of elderly in our population. Total cardiovascular diseases, including heart attack and stroke, are the most common cause of death in the United States. At least 58 million Americans have some form of cardiovascular disease, including high blood pressure.
All cancers are the second most common cause of death.
One of every four deaths in the United States is from cancer. One third of the cancer deaths each year are related to poor nutrition. Cardiovascular disease and cancer together account for almost two-thirds of all deaths in the United States. Much of the burden of diabetes could be prevented with early detection and diabetes self-management education. About 16 million people in the U.S. have diabetes, and over 5 million of these people are unaware that they have the disease.