A map that shows the leading cause of death in each state would show the usual culprits of heart disease and cancer all over the place. But things get more interesting in a map that shows the "most distinctive" cause of death in each state—the one that "stands out most relative to its national average," explains the Washington Post. The New York State Cancer Registry has compiled just such a map, with the results newly published by the CDC. Some highlights as noted by the Post, LiveScience, and the map's creators:
- Accidental gunfire: Tennessee and Alabama
- Plane, boat, or "other transport" accidents: Alaska and Idaho
- Legal intervention (including executions): New Mexico, Nevada, and Oregon
- Lung diseases: Kentucky, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia
- Inflammatory diseases of female pelvic organs: New York and Connecticut
- Flu: Maine, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wyoming
- Syphilis: Louisiana
- Sepsis: New Jersey
- HIV: Florida
- Tuberculosis: Texas
- Hyperplasia of prostate: California
Click to see
the map and full list of states. (Or check out the
most stressed states.)