1.

CANCER Average state rate:

2. HEART DISEASE Average state rate:

3. STROKE Average state rate:

156.4

Age adjusted* All rates per 100,000 people

122.4

Age adjusted*

38.1

Age adjusted*

4. LOWER RESPIRATORY DISEASE Average state rate:

37.5 Age adjusted*

HIGHEST Trinity 200.8

HIGHEST Stanislaus 165.2

HIGHEST San Luis Obispo 56.6

HIGHEST Shasta 71.5

HOW CALIFORNIANS DIE

5. ALZHEIMERS Average state rate:

30.5

Age adjusted*

HIGHEST Solano 49.9

7. DIABETES Average state rate:

20.2

Age adjusted*

alifornians appear to KEY FOR But the age-adjusted death rate in the states 58 counties be getting healthier in MAPS varied widely, from a low of many respects, with 516.4 in wealthy Marin County drops in deaths attributable Well above to 989.2 in nearby Lake to cancer and many other average County, which has a high major illnesses, as well as state rate poverty rate. homicide and auto acciThe correlation between dents, a new statistical Slightly above report from the state Destate average affluence or lack thereof and rates of death was partment of Public Health strong in the report, with the indicates. At or below However, the state also is state average wealthier Bay Area and coastal Southern California seeing an uptick in deaths from Alzheimer's disease, as Not enough data counties having the lowest well as suicide and chronic for reliable rate rates and states poorer rural counties having the liver disease. The report covers three years 2009-2011 with highest. When it came to particular causes comparisons to 2006-2008. of death, however, the correlation For the first time, too, the state report on health-related issues com- sometimes continued and sometimes pares Californias experiences with the didnt. Discounting data from counties recommendations of the federal governments Healthy People 2020 with so few cases as to be statistically insignificant, the department said the benchmarks. California averaged 234,637 deaths lowest cancer death rate was found in remote Inyo County, for instance, a year from all causes during the while the highest was in equally 2009-11 period for an age-adjusted rate of 654.9 per 100,000 population. remote Trinity County.

6. ACCIDENTS Average state rate:

27.6

Age adjusted*

HIGHEST Lake 85.7

8. INFLUENZA/ PNEUMONIA Average state rate:

17.3

Age adjusted*

HIGHEST San Bernardino 33.9

BETTER OFF?
9. LIVER DISEASE Average state rate:

Decline

Increase

HIGHEST Tulare 24.6

A look at how the death rates per 100,000 for 2009-11 compare to the previous 2006-08 rates for the most common causes of death. CALIFORNIA SAN LUIS OBISPO CO.
Previous All cancers 162.7 Heart disease 143.7 Stroke 42.8 Lower respiratory disease 39.4 Alzheimers 27.0 Accidents 30.8 Diabetes 22.1 Influenza/pneumonia 20.6 Liver disease 11.2 Drug-induced 11.1 Suicide 9.7 Firearm-related 8.8 Motor vehicle crashes 10.6 Homicide 6.4 Current 156.4 122.4 38.1 37.5 30.5 27.6 20.2 17.3 11.4 10.9 10.2 7.8 7.5 5.2 Previous 160.0 109.9 48.9 36.8 16.0 38.0 22.8 12.5 10.0 12.3 12.4 6.7 12.1 12.4 Current 153.9 90.5 56.6 37.8 23.7 33.0 13.5 11.0 11.0 14.5 16.3 8.0 7.8 16.3

10. DRUG-INDUCED Average state rate:

11.4

Age adjusted*

10.9

Age adjusted*

HIGHEST San Joaquin 16.0

HIGHEST Lake 45.3

11. SUICIDE Average state rate:

10.2

12. FIREARMRELATED Average state rate:

13. MOTOR VEHICLE CRASHES Average state rate:

14. HOMICIDE Average state rate:

Age adjusted*

7.8 Age adjusted*

7.5 Age adjusted*

5.2

Age adjusted*

HIGHEST Humboldt 22.7

HIGHEST Shasta 13.8

HIGHEST Madera 18.9

HIGHEST San Joaquin 10.4

*The risk of death is primarily a function of old age. Age-adjusted death rates reflect the countys rate if the ages of its population matched the statewide population. SOURCE: California Department of Public Health Nathaniel Levine nlevine@sacbee.com