Earthquake associated deaths - California
Article Abstract:
An earthquake that registered at 7.1 on the Richter Scale struck northern California on October 17, 1989. The damage centered in seven counties in the San Francisco area and personal property damage was recorded to be over 5.6 billion dollars. Based on data provided by county medical examiners and coroners, two aspects of the reported deaths were examined. The first was a compilation of the number of deaths that occurred as a result of the earthquake which focused on the time period from October 17 to and including October 31, 1989. The second aspect was an examination of the demographic characteristics, cause, and circumstances of each of these deaths. A total of 63 earthquake related deaths were recorded and 60 of these were defined as directly related to the earthquake. Of the sixty recorded deaths, 57, or 95 percent were a result of injuries received within two minutes of the impact. The other three fatalities resulted from injuries sustained within eight hours after the earthquake. It was also determined that the highest rate of mortality occurred in Alameda County (42 deaths). An editorial note from the CDC, Centers for Disease Control, noted that results of these data will serve as a basis for improving existing guidelines for earthquake disasters. In general, the responses of assistance from federal and state government were considered to be adequate. Federal, state, and local agencies are still in the process of assessing their response to this emergency situation.
Publication Name: JAMA, The Journal of the American Medical Association
Subject: Health
ISSN: 0098-7484
Year: 1989
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Decline in Deaths From Heart Disease and Stroke--United States, 1900-1999
Article Abstract:
A substantial decline in mortality rates from cardiovascular disease is one of the greatest public health victories in the late 20th century. Since 1950, the death rate from cardiovascular disease has dropped about 60%. In the 1950s, the Framingham Study began, which identified many of the risk factors for cardiovascular disease. They include high blood pressure, high blood cholesterol, smoking, diet, lifestyle, obesity, physical inactivity and socioeconomic status. The declining mortality rate is due primarily to lifestyle and dietary changes, as well as effective treatments for high blood pressure and high cholesterol levels.
Publication Name: JAMA, The Journal of the American Medical Association
Subject: Health
ISSN: 0098-7484
Year: 1999
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