Men's top 10 health threats: Mostly preventable
| ank | Cause | Percentage of male deaths |
|---|
| 1 | Heart disease | 28.0 |
| 2 | Cancer | 24.0 |
| 3 | Unintentional injuries | 5.9 |
| 4 | Stroke | 5.1 |
| 5 | Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) | 5.1 |
| 6 | Diabetes | 2.9 |
| 7 | Influenza and pneumonia | 2.4 |
| 8 | Suicide | 2.1 |
| 9 | Kidney disease | 1.7 |
| 10 | Alzheimer's disease | 1.5 |
| Total | | 78.7 |
These CDC statistics show men are at higher risk of death than are women in most of these categories. As a result, the average American man lives 5.3 fewer years than does the average woman. In 2003, male life expectancy was 74.8 years. Female life expectancy was 80.1 years.
While experts are continually working to understand the underlying causes of death in men, one thing is clear: By recognizing the leading threats to your life, you can take steps to reduce your risks - and avoid the leading causes of death.
