Cancer Emerges as Leading Cause of Death in San Diego County
Cancer displaced heart disease as the leading cause of death in San Diego County in 2007, public health officials announced Monday, the San Diego Union-Tribune reports.
In 2007, 4,812 people died from cancer in the county, a 4% increase from 2006. At the same time, deaths from heart disease were 4,743, a 2% drop from 2006.
The increase makes cancer the leading cause of death in the county replacing heart disease, according to public health officials.
Public health officials attributed the changes to improvements in cardiac care in the county and demographic changes.
Wilma Wooten, the county's public health officer, said preliminary statistics for 2008 indicate that cancer will remain the leading cause of death in the county.
Other Findings
In order, other leading causes of death in San Diego County were:
- Stroke;
- Chronic lower respiratory diseases;
- Alzheimer's disease;
- Accidents;
- Diabetes;
- Suicide;
- Chronic liver disease and cirrhosis; and
- Influenza and pneumonia.
In addition, statistics show that in 2007:
- Roughly 1.2 million adults, or 55% of the region's adult population, were overweight or obese;
- The number of deaths from diabetes dropped by 15% increasing steadily over the previous four years; and
- Infant mortality among blacks decreased to nine deaths for every 1,000 live births (Darcé, San Diego Union-Tribune, 4/21).