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Cancer, heart disease deaths drop in Hamilton County

Thinkstock photo / Among the significant improvements in the health report are declines in stroke (39 percent), heart disease (32 percent), motor vehicle accidents (22 percent), cancer (20 percent) and chronic lower respiratory disease (14 percent).
Thinkstock photo / Among the significant improvements in the health report are declines in stroke (39 percent), heart disease (32 percent), motor vehicle accidents (22 percent), cancer (20 percent) and chronic lower respiratory disease (14 percent). Thinkstock photo / Among the significant improvements in the health report are declines in stroke (39 percent), heart disease (32 percent), motor vehicle accidents (22 percent), cancer (20 percent) and chronic lower respiratory disease (14 percent).

By Steve Johnson 4 min read

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To read the report, go to http://bit.ly/HamiltonHealth

The number of Hamilton County residents dying from stroke, heart disease, cancer and auto accidents has dropped significantly in recent years, but deaths due to drug overdoses, suicide, and accidental falls are up significantly, according to a new report by the Hamilton County Health Department and the Regional Health Council.

The health of blacks has gotten better, but is still significantly worse than the white population, with blacks 3.6 times as likely to die of kidney disease, 2.7 times more likely to die of diabetes, and black women 74 percent more likely to die of breast cancer than white women.

“The disparities have historically been there in a lot of areas,” said Ione Farrah, a health data specialist who helped prepare the report. “They are getting smaller, but in particular with kidney disease and diabetes mortalities, that is pretty eye-opening.”

The report summarizes progress toward meeting health goals set by the federal government for 2020. It includes more than 80 pages of statistics and charts on a range of health and demographic factors, from the number of teens smoking marijuana in the past month (20 percent) to the number of dentists per 1,000 residents (fewer than 1) and the number of new AIDS cases (43 in 2013). The dates of the data vary, depending on what is most recent, according to Farrah.