Pedestrian deaths were up significantly last year in Massachusetts, but that was not the number one cause of death here in the commonwealth.

Massachusetts saw a 35 percent increase in pedestrian deaths in 2022, when 101 people were killed by vehicles, up from 75 people the prior year.  Of the state’s 351 cities and towns, 60 of them had fatal pedestrian crashes in 2022, compared with 47 in 2021. -live959.com

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MattGush
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My father died of aggressive prostate cancer and 2018 and my wife of triple negative breast cancer in 2020. Everyone knows someone that is being or has been affected by cancer.

It's no surprise that cancer is responsible for more deaths than anything else in Massachusetts, it is the leading cause of death. Treatment has improved and survival rates, especially of certain types of cancer, are definitely improving thanks to advances in research and science.

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Rudyanto Wijaya
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The 10 Leading Causes of Death in Massachusetts

10. Chronic Liver Disease/Cirrhosis

The main factors that lead to this are viruses, obesity, and alcohol misuse.

MaximFesenko
MaximFesenko
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9. Kidney Disease

Diabetes and high blood pressure are the main causes of kidney disease.

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vgajic
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8. Alzheimer's Disease

The causes probably include a combination of age-related changes in the brain, along with genetic, environmental, and lifestyle factors.

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travellinglight
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7. Diabetes

Type 1 you're born with, type 2 you develop with poor diet choices and physical inactivity.

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LoveTheWind
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6. Stroke

There are two main causes of stroke, a blocked artery (ischemic stroke) or leaking or bursting of a blood vessel (hemorrhagic stroke).

5. Chronic Lower Respiratory Diseases

Bronchitis, Pneumonia, Flu, and more all contribute to this conditions .

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wildpixel
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4. Accidents

Pedestrian deaths were up 35% last year (2022).

Cities with the Most Accidents
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3. Covid-19

The pandemic was still high on the list of leading causes of death in Massachusetts.

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LisLud
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2. Heart Disease

Leading risk factors for heart disease and stroke are high blood pressure, high low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, diabetes, smoking and secondhand smoke exposure, obesity, unhealthy diet, and physical inactivity.

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michaeljung
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1. Cancer

Breast, prostate, lung, colorectal, uterine, and bladder cancers, in that order, are the top types of diagnosed disease in Massachusetts and nationally.

An estimated 12,500 people will die of cancer in 2023 in Massachusetts. The above data courtesy of cdc.gov

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iStock
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LOOK: Baby names losing popularity in the 21st century

Stacker took a look at the names losing popularity in the 21st century, using data from the Social Security Administration.

Gallery Credit: Stacker

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