The Top 10 Leading Causes of Death in Maine Revealed

Let's face it. We all die. There's nothing we can do to prevent it, but there are things we can do to help prolong life, like healthy eating, exercise, seeing your doctor regularly, and wearing sunscreen outdoors. They all contribute to preventing many of things that can contribute to our deaths.

The Maine Department of Health and Human Services has a list of the leading causes of death in Maine. Here are the top 10 on the list, how they affect you, and what you can do to try to prevent them.

Cancer - 3433 deaths in Maine in 2020

According to The National Cancer Institute, there are over 100 types of cancers that affect humans, making it the leading cause of death worldwide and in Maine. About a third of cancer deaths are caused by smoking or other tobacco use.

Heart Disease - 3030 deaths in Maine in 2020

Heart disease can be caused by high blood pressure, smoking, diabetes mellitus, lack of exercise, obesity, high blood cholesterol, poor diet, and excessive alcohol consumption. It was the second-largest killer in Maine in 2020, causing just over 1800 more deaths than the third-largest killer.

Unintentional Injuries - 1146 deaths in Maine in 2020

Unintentional injuries are basically accidents. Falls, car crashes, poisoning, and fires or burns are just a few of the things that are deemed as unintentional injuries.

Chronic Lower Respiratory Disease - 888 deaths in Maine in 2020

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, know better as COPD, is a progressive lung disease that causes long-term breathing problems. Quitting smoking is the number one way you can prevent COPD.

Cerebrovascular Diseases - 694 deaths in Maine in 2020

Cerebrovascular disease are medical conditions that affect the blood vessels of the brain and can most commonly cause strokes. A healthy diet, regular exercise, and not smoking and drinking too much alcohol help reduce your risk.

Alzheimer's Disease - 587 deaths in Maine in 2020

Alzheimer's disease starts slowly and progressively worsens causing dementia, mostly in people 65 and older. The cause is unknown and there is no cure.

COVID 19 - 420 deaths in Maine in 2020

COVID-19 claimed the lives of 420 Mainers, according to latest the annual report published by the Maine CDC in 2020. Since the virus first arrived in Maine, 3085 people have died. Make sure your COVID vaccines are up to date.

Chronic Liver Disease and Cirrhosis - 249 deaths in Maine in 2020

Fibrosis and cirrhosis of the liver can be caused by alcohol, hepatitis, and weight gain.

Influenza and Pneumonia - 238 deaths in Maine in 2020

The common flu with its symptoms of a fever, runny nose, sore throat, muscle pain, headache, coughing, and fatigue, has a vaccine to help prevent infection, which has kept deaths from the flu low, but it still claims lives each year.

Nephritis, Nephrotic Syndrome and Nephrosis - 235 deaths in Maine in 2020

Nephritis is an inflammation of the kidneys commonly caused by autoimmune disorders, but can also be caused by infections and toxins. There's no proven way to prevent it, but healthy lifestyles might help.