Death in America 2012

Most people have a list of books they want to read.  I have a list of books I want to write.  I'm at that disturbing age in life when I recognize the impossibility of accomplishing this task.  I have even started to consider a program where I might conscript the writing abilities of others in a sort of joint venture.  Hence, my standing offer: commissioned writers wanted!
One of these books is a fun but also serious look at death.  I call it "Ten Ways to Die".  I won't reveal more at this point other than sharing a very interesting article (from CNN) about what is killing us in 2012.  What kills us and what does not kill us (on a macro or societal level) is telling.  Enjoy:

15 top killers of Americans

The leading killers of Americans continue to be non-infectious diseases like heart disease, strokes and lung diseases.

But one of the perpetual causes of death fell off the top 15 list this year: Homicides.
“Most of the changes were positive,” said Sherry Murphy, a statistician at the National Center of Health Statistics and one of the authors of the annual mortality report. “Homicides fell from among the 15 leading causes for the first time since 1965.”

The rest of the common killers remained fairly consistent compared with 2009, according to the report released Wednesday. The death rate in the United States dropped slightly from 749.6 deaths per 100,000 in 2009 to 746.2 deaths per 100,000.
The life expectancy in the United States inched up a tiny bit from 78.6 years in 2009 to 78.7 years in 2010.
The leading causes of death in 2010 remained nearly the same as in 2009 – kidney diseases became the 8^th leading cause of death –- it had been 9^th in the previous year. It swapped spots with flu and pneumonia.
The 15^th leading killer is pneumonitis due to solids and liquids, an illness more likely to strike the elderly. This is inflammation of the lungs due to inhaling substance inside the lung such as dust, mold or inhalants.
Here are the top 15 killers:
1. Diseases of heart
2. Malignant neoplasms (cancer)
3. Chronic lower respiratory diseases (such as chronic bronchitis, emphysema, and asthma)
4. Cerebrovascular diseases (stroke)
5. Accidents (any injuries that are unintentional)
6. Alzheimer’s disease
7. Diabetes mellitus
8. Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis (kidney disease)
9. Influenza and pneumonia
10. Intentional self-harm (suicide)
11. Septicemia
12. Chronic liver disease and cirrhosis
13. Essential hypertension and hypertensive renal disease
14. Parkinson’s disease
15. Pneumonitis due to solids and liquids

Live long and prosper (and be good to your heart)!