These are the biggest killers

Luise Heine has been an editor at since 2012. The qualified biologist studied in Regensburg and Brisbane (Australia) and gained experience as a journalist in television, in the Ratgeber-Verlag and in a print magazine. In addition to her work at , she also writes for children, for example for the Stuttgarter Kinderzeitung, and has her own breakfast blog, “Kuchen zum Frühstück”.

More posts by Luise Heine All content is checked by medical journalists.

Extend your own life? That is possible, says the latest update of the "Global Burden of Disease" study. According to this, one could actually avoid many risk factors for premature death, for example smoking, obesity and high blood pressure.

In 1990, worldwide malnutrition and poor hygienic conditions were considered the greatest risk factors for not reaching a blessed old age. 25 years later, the picture has changed significantly, according to the result of a committee of international scientists who compiled and analyzed 79 death risk factors for a total of 188 countries between 1990 and 2013. Most of the victims demanded:

Incorrect diet (too much salt, too little fruit and vegetables, little whole grain, etc.): 11.3 million
Hypertension: 10.4 million
Smoking: 6.1 million
Air pollution: 5.5 million
High body mass index (BMI): 4.4 million
Child and maternal malnutrition: 1.7 million

Different countries, different problems

Different regions have very different problems. Too much bacon on your hips is the number one risk factor, especially in the Middle East and Latin America. The people in southern and south-eastern Asia are primarily concerned with air pollution. Alcohol is the second most dangerous risk factor in Russia and smoking is number one in many developed countries. In Germany, high blood pressure is in first place, followed by a BMI that is too high and smoking.

The health risks associated with sex - namely, HIV or AIDS infections, for example - would actually be particularly easy to avoid. Because protected sexual intercourse is not a standard in many African countries, sex without a condom claims many victims. The experts estimate that around 38 percent of deaths there can be attributed to unprotected sexual intercourse.

Avoiding risks

Dr. Christopher Murray, main author of the study, also sees the good side of the results: "We have great potential to prevent many deaths." To do this, it is important to avoid certain risk factors such as smoking or poor nutrition. And to do something much more specifically about things like air pollution. "Politicians should also use our newly acquired knowledge to reduce risks."

Source: Christopher J Murray et al. Global, regional, and national comparative risk assessment of 79 behavioral, environmental and occupational, and metabolic risks or clusters of risks in 188 countries, 1990-2013: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2013. The Lancet, September 2015 DOI : 10.1016 / S0140-673600128-2

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