What are the greatest risks to your health today? The answers may surprise you. Due to sensationalism in the media on some issues, and the downplaying of real concerns to protect special interests, true dangers are not often recognized by the public. Let's focus on causes of death in the U.S. and West Virginia.

In the U.S. only 4% of fatalities are due to accidents, with motor vehicle accidents accounting for half of all accidental deaths. Put another way, one death in twenty-five is accidental. Your chances of being murdered are even less; 1 in 141.

So what kills most Americans? Disease. In fact, 23 out of 25 deaths are caused by disease. Seventy percent of those deaths are caused by diabetes, chronic lung disease, cancer and cardio-vascular disease. Seventy percent of 23 is 16, so 16 of every 25 deaths in the U.S. are caused by chronic ailments that can be drastically reduced by following a healthy lifestyle.

What is a healthy lifestyle? Research shows those who eat plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables ,whole grains, fish and high quality fat such as olive or coconut oil will on average lead longer healthier lives. Moderate exercise gives similar results. If this doesn't sound like the typical West Virginian, you’re right. Even though Americans have more cases of chronic degenerative illness than other counties, Central West Virginians are twice as likely to have diabetes, cancer, and heart disease.

Let's compare some more numbers. In 2003, the U.S. had one death from shark attack, two from snake bites, zero from bird flu and mad cow disease and one million, six hundred ten thousand deaths from chronic degenerative disease.

If you've been stranded on a desert island for 25 years, let me bring you up to speed. Soda pop is a leading cause of diabetes, and smoking is a leading cause of cancer, heart disease and lung disease. How common is it in West Virginia to see someone chasing a copperhead (or any snake for that matter) with a gun in one hand, a soda in the other and a cigarette hanging out of their mouth? Hey, at least they're getting some exercise.

Most of the figures come from the Center for Disease Control. Conspicuously absent from these government statistics is what the World Health Organization reports to be the third leading cause of death in the U.S. - medical errors. Medical errors are responsible for over 100,000 deaths per year in this country and the numbers are increasing. The majority of these medical errors are drug related. These are distressing statistics when you consider that millions of lives are saved and improved when pharmaceuticals are prescribed responsibly.

According to a memo sent out in 2003 to all health care professionals in West Virginia, a study by the American College of Emergency Physicians states, the more prescription drugs you take, the greater chance of an adverse reaction resulting in hospitalization. If you are on eight or more prescriptions, your odds of having such a reaction are close to 100 percent. There are exceptions to every rule, but if you're on eight or more prescriptions, I'd start asking questions -- a lot of questions. Of course, some drugs are more dangerous and/or less effective than others. An unusually high percentage of my patients have had bad reactions to Advair. When checking the Physicians Desk Reference, I found in bold italics: "Warning! Advair may cause asthma-related death. Prescribe only if other treatment is ineffective."

Research from 19 trials involving 35,000 patients suggested that of the 5,000 deaths per year from asthma in the U.S., 4,000 can be attributed to the inhalers Advair, Serevent, and Foradil. Aspirin is commonly prescribed for every patient with a hint of heart problems. Recent research shows that while an aspirin a day will help prevent blood clots and heart attacks, it increases your chances of congestive heart failure by ten.

I hope these statistics will help you make better decisions about your health. Yours in health, see you next month.