Heart disease has been the leading cause of death in the U.S. since 1921, but what about preventable, premature deaths? According to the CDC, between 20% to 40% of premature deaths are preventable, and accidental injuries are the leading cause of such untimely ends. In fact, every three minutes in the States, someone dies from an unintentional (and avoidable) injury.
NYRequirements.com conducted a study to determine in which states people are prematurely passing the most — and why they are dying early. The study includes the main reasons behind deaths and determines how many years of life are lost per 100,000 people before they turn 75.
Here’s how the results shake out in terms of where you’re most likely to die prematurely and how it’s most likely to happen.
1. Mississippi
Years of potential life lost: 13,781
Leading cause of death: Heart disease (16.4%)
Mississippi isn’t just the state where you’re most likely to experience an expedited expiration date; it’s also one of the top states for homicide deaths. Trailing behind heart disease, unintentional injury and malignant neoplasms are also attributable to premature deaths in the state.
2. West Virginia
Years of potential life lost: 13,072
Leading cause of death: Unintentional injury (26.1%)
3. Louisiana
Years of potential life lost: 12,377
Leading cause of death: Unintentional injury (20.2%)
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4. Alabama
Years of potential life lost: 12,139
Leading cause of death: Heart disease (17.5%)
Related: Life Expectancy in the Year You Were Born
5. Kentucky
Years of potential life lost: 11,942
Leading cause of death: Unintentional injury (22.2%)
Kentucky cracks the top five for premature deaths with unintentional injury as a leading cause, followed by malignant neoplasms and heart disease.
Related: 12 Easy ‘Blue Zone’ Recipes To Help You Live Better
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6. New Mexico
Years of potential life lost: 11,896
Leading cause of death: Unintentional injury (21.2%)
7. Tennessee
Years of potential life lost: 11,654
Leading cause of death: Unintentional injury (21.9%)
8. Arkansas
Years of potential life lost: 11,545
Leading cause of death: Heart disease (17%)
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9. South Carolina
Years of potential life lost: 10,898
Leading cause of death: Unintentional injury (20.7%)
10. Oklahoma
Years of potential life lost: 10,873
Leading cause of death: Heart disease (17.5%)
Okies apparently don’t have the longest lifespans, rounding out the top ten states where folks are likely to die prematurely.
11. Missouri
Years of potential life lost: 10,247
Leading cause of death: Unintentional injury (19.3%)
12. Indiana
Years of potential life lost: 10,155
Leading cause of death: Unintentional injury (20.3%)
13. Ohio
Years of potential life lost: 10,031
Leading cause of death: Unintentional injury (22.6%)
14. Georgia
Years of potential life lost: 9,528
Leading cause of death: Heart disease (15.6%)
15. Arizona
Years of potential life lost: 9,469
Leading cause of death: Unintentional injury (22.4%)
Arizona is one of those states that retirees flock to in search of consistently warm weather, but it might not be the best choice if statistics like this hold weight for you.
16. Alaska
Years of potential life lost: 9,409
Leading cause of death: Unintentional injury (20%)
17. North Carolina
Years of potential life lost: 9,308
Leading cause of death: Malignant neoplasms (16.3%)
18. Michigan
Years of potential life lost: 9,255
Leading cause of death: Malignant neoplasms (16.4%)
19. Wyoming
Years of potential life lost: 9,141
Leading cause of death: Unintentional injury (17.4%)
20. Nevada
Years of potential life lost: 8,927
Leading cause of death: Unintentional injury (17.2%)
We can’t help but wonder how many unintentional injuries in Nevada happen in Las Vegas, fueled by alcohol and a “Viva Las Vegas” mentality.
21. Delaware
Years of potential life lost: 8,903
Leading cause of death: Unintentional injury (23%)
22. Montana
Years of potential life lost: 8,835
Leading cause of death: Unintentional injury (18.1%)
23. Kansas
Years of potential life lost: 8,826
Leading cause of death: Malignant neoplasms (16.5%)
24. Maryland
Years of potential life lost: 8,820
Leading cause of death: Malignant neoplasms (15.6%)
25. South Dakota
Years of potential life lost: 8,805
Leading cause of death: Unintentional injury (16.9%)
South Dakota marks the midpoint on the list with malignant neoplasms and heart disease adding to the premature deaths in the state.
26. Pennsylvania
Years of potential life lost: 8,655
Leading cause of death: Unintentional injury (22%)
27. Florida
Years of potential life lost: 8,622
Leading cause of death: Unintentional injury (22.5%)
28. Texas
Years of potential life lost: 8,566
Leading cause of death: Unintentional injury (15.1%)
29. Illinois
Years of potential life lost: 8,553
Leading cause of death: Unintentional injury (17.8%)
30. North Dakota
Years of potential life lost: 8,423
Leading cause of death: Unintentional injury (17.7%)
If you don’t meet your maker through an accidental injury in North Dakota, you might experience a malignant neoplasm or heart disease in terms of premature deaths.
31. Maine
Years of potential life lost: 8,037
Leading cause of death: Unintentional injury (23.8%)
32. Virginia
Years of potential life lost: 7,931
Leading cause of death: Unintentional injury (18.6%)
33. Iowa
Years of potential life lost: 7,803
Leading cause of death: Malignant neoplasms (17.5%)
34. Wisconsin
Years of potential life lost: 7,787
Leading cause of death: Unintentional injury (20.4%)
35. New Jersey
Years of potential life lost: 7,759
Leading cause of death: Unintentional injury (18.8%)
Behind unintentional injury and malignant neoplasms, COVID-19 is the leading cause of premature death in New Jersey.
36. New York
Years of potential life lost: 7,651
Leading cause of death: Malignant neoplasms (16.3%)
37. Nebraska
Years of potential life lost: 7,539
Leading cause of death: Malignant neoplasms (17.5%)
38. Colorado
Years of potential life lost: 7,442
Leading cause of death: Unintentional injury (21.3%)
39. Connecticut
Years of potential life lost: 7,274
Leading cause of death: Unintentional injury (24.3%)
40. Vermont
Years of potential life lost: 7,153
Leading cause of death: Malignant neoplasms (21.6%)
Entering the top ten states where you’re least likely to die prematurely, Vermont ‘s early deaths are also predomintently attributable to unintentional injury and heart disease.
41. Idaho
Years of potential life lost: 7,145
Leading cause of death: Unintentional injury (17.1%)
42. Rhode Island
Years of potential life lost: 7,082
Leading cause of death: Unintentional injury (22.9%)
43. Oregon
Years of potential life lost: 7,079
Leading cause of death: Malignant neoplasms (18.4%)
44. California
Years of potential life lost: 7,020
Leading cause of death: Unintentional injury (19.5%)
45. Utah
Years of potential life lost: 6,765
Leading cause of death: Unintentional injury (18.4%)
While unintentional injury is the leading cause of premature death in Utah, the state is the top state for deaths caused by people taking their own lives.
46. Washington
Years of potential life lost: 6,724
Leading cause of death: Unintentional injury (19.2%)
47. New Hampshire
Years of potential life lost: 6,705
Leading cause of death: Unintentional injury (20.7%)
48. Minnesota
Years of potential life lost: 6,549
Leading cause of death: Unintentional injury (18.7%)
49. Massachusetts
Years of potential life lost: 6,500
Leading cause of death: Unintentional injury (22.3%)
50. Hawaii
Years of potential life lost: 6,413
Leading cause of death: Malignant neoplasms (18.2%)
We can’t say we’re super surprised that Hawaii comes in last on this list. The place is a paradise in its own right, and we’re almost positive that if there’s a fountain of youth, it’s somewhere in Hawaii.
