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17
Coronary
Disease
Non-Infectious Disease
Appendix 5 (Registrar General's Short List of Deaths and
Causes) shows that in those deaths in which the causes are
well defined there are two main categories responsible for
most deaths. These are diseases of the heart and arteries,
and cancer. Appendices 6 & 7 show comparisons between
Redbridge, Greater London and England and Wales.
Diseases of the heart and blood vessels (categories 17 —
21) accounted for 1,305 deaths, or 46% of all deaths. Coronary
disease and angina alone claimed 559 victims, or 19.6% or
one in five of all deaths. The disease caused death mainly
in males over the age of 55 but there were 54 deaths under the
age of 55 years and 14 of these were under the age of 45.
Probably many of these deaths were preventable. Although the
cause of coronary disease is not fully understood, there are
at least three factors over which the individual can exercise
control and reduce the risk of dying from coronary disease.
These are cigarette smoking, which should be reduced or
stopped altogether, physical activity which should be regular
and moderate, and overeating which by causing obesity leads
to high blood pressure which in turn carries an increased risk
of coronary disease.
Lung Cancer
Cancer in its many forms (categories 10—15) accounted
for 610 deaths or 21.4% of all deaths. The largest category
of all cancer deaths was lung cancer which caused 147 deaths
or 5.1% of the total deaths of one in twenty of all deaths. Most
of the deaths were in men over the age of 55 paying the penalty
of twenty a day for 20 years or more. This is an eminently
preventable disease to which a great deal of our health education
is directed.
Female
Cancer
There were 82 deaths from female cancers, 20 of the uterus
and 62 of the breast. Both of these types of cancer give
premonitory symptoms and if detected early have a good chance
of cure.
A special cancer health education campaign is to be
started next year.
Accidents
There were 77 accidental deaths, 26 of these the result of
motor vehicle accidents. 7 children under the age of 15 died
as a result of accidents but only one of these was a motor
vehicle accident.
Suicide
26 persons committed suicide, of which 11 were under the
age of 45.