The leading causes of death in Wayne County are the same health issues that plague people across the country -- heart disease, cancer and strokes.

And the status of residents' health hasn't gotten better or worse in the last five years, said Patricia Soare, the county's director of public health.

"The numbers in our area have been stable. The leading causes of death have remained the same," she said.

Nearly 3,650 people in the county, with the exclusion of Detroit, died from heart disease in 1999, the latest data from the health department. Another 2,520 died of cancer and 630 residents died from complications of a stroke.

Out of every 1,000 live births, 11.2 babies die and 10.6 percent of expectant mothers received inadequate prenatal care.

With this is mind, Soare said the county health department been pushing for people to make lifestyle changes that will improve their health.

The focus is on patient access to health care, heart disease, breast cancer awareness and self-examinations, fitness, exercise and nutrition.

Anti-smoking campaigns also continue to be prevalent, because it's one of the leading causes of death in the country. Nineteen percent of Americans die from tobacco use, 14 percent due to diet and another 5 percent because of alcohol use, health officials estimate.

"Many issues are things people can take control of, which is why a lot of community health programs stress lifestyle changes to help prolong life," Soare said. "People just have to educate themselves and go from there."

　　From Healthy.net