Heart Disease and Cancer Account For More Than 50% of All Men's Deaths In 2002

Look Closely: nearly the same lifestyle changes improve your chances of fighting the leading two causes of death

In 2002, 1,199,264 American men died. Nearly 80 percent of them died of heart disease or one of the nine other leading causes of death among American men.

Here's a snapshot of the 10 leading killers of American men in 2002:

Rank	Cause	% of male deaths
1	Heart disease	28.4
2	Cancer	24.1
3	Unintentional injuries	5.8
4	Stroke	5.2
5	Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)	5.1
6	Diabetes	2.8
7	Influenza and pneumonia	2.4
8	Suicide	2.1
9	Kidney disease	1.6
10	Chronic liver disease and cirrhosis	1.5
Total	79

Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2004

In 2002, 718,450 men died of heart disease and cancer. Here is what you can do about it.

You can reduce your risk of heart disease by making healthier lifestyle choices and getting appropriate treatment for other conditions that can damage your heart, such as high cholesterol, diabetes and high blood pressure. Some preventive measures you can take:

• Don't smoke or use other tobacco products.
• Eat a varied diet, rich in fruits, vegetables, and low-fat foods.
• Maintain a healthy weight.
• Get at least 30 minutes of exercise most days of the week.
• Keep your cholesterol levels in normal ranges.
• Control your blood sugar if you have diabetes.
• Control your blood pressure.