Why is there such a high rate of Alzheimer in Washington state? There may be something to discover there related to its causes.
Show HN: Mortality Rates in the US Visualized
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Re: Show HN: Mortality Rates in the US Visualized
#32Suicide seems to be highest in rural (lonely) cold (also less sunlight) states.
Re: Show HN: Mortality Rates in the US Visualized
#33Re: Show HN: Mortality Rates in the US Visualized
#34This is a fascinating tool you've put together. One can look at all sorts of interesting contrasts and/or patterns from it. One that I found interesting is that Washington and Florida have among the lowest rates for the flu, on complete opposite corners of the map and with what most would say are very different climates. I was also surprised that the flu kills more per 100,000 than alcohol, firearms, or vehicles. It…
It should say influenza and pneumonia for that label. I just realized that error. That number sounds more appropriate that label. Adjusting now. Update: Fixed.
What tool did you use to generate these maps?
Re: Show HN: Mortality Rates in the US Visualized
#35Earlier quoted context omitted.
Availability of means to take one's life surely matters too in those states with higher suicide rates. The intermountain west is a place where everyone has access to firearms. In fact, I remember from a few months ago that there was a National Public Radio report about just that issue in connection with youth suicide in Wyoming. http://www.npr.org/2013/03/19/174761612/a-turning-point-for-... Most of the intermountain…
Access to firearms may play some part, but the rates of death due to firearm injury is high in the South which has relatively low suicide rates. Perhaps religious/cultural attitudes play a part? That wouldn't account for Utah though.
Interestingly Alaska has the highest death rate by Firearms. Anyone can propose a rationale for that?
Re: Show HN: Mortality Rates in the US Visualized
#36Why is there such a high rate of Alzheimer in Washington state? There may be something to discover there related to its causes.
It does seem like quite an outlier. I found another article that mentions it and splits it by county. http://socialcapitalreview.org/washington-tops-u-s-in-12-yea...
It looks like a problem in the western part of the state, but I don't see any suggestion of why that is.
*Correction: Meant county instead of country.
Re: Show HN: Mortality Rates in the US Visualized
#37Is it only me, or is California suspiciously low in almost every single category? Why would that be?
> Is it only me, or is California suspiciously low in almost every single category? Well, its the second best overall, but "almost every single category"? 1. Heart, it is on the low side but near the middle of the pack; 2. Cancer, it is one of the best; 3. Respiratory, it is on the low side but not very low; 4. Stroke it is near the middle of the pack; 5. Accident it is fairly low; 6. Alzheimer's its is significantly…
For Alzheimer, if you don't die from any other condition, you will likely live longer and therefore the neurodegenerative illnesses will be more prominent, it seems very logical actually.
Re: Show HN: Mortality Rates in the US Visualized
#38Why is there such a high rate of Alzheimer in Washington state? There may be something to discover there related to its causes.
It does seem like quite an outlier. I found another article that mentions it and splits it by county. http://socialcapitalreview.org/washington-tops-u-s-in-12-yea... It looks like a problem in the western part of the state, but I don't see any suggestion of why that is. *Correction: Meant county instead of country.
This definitely deserves some kind of investigation. There's probably something to learn from such high levels of difference in very close counties : http://socialcapitalreview.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/Sc...
Re: Show HN: Mortality Rates in the US Visualized
#39Suicide seems to be highest in rural (lonely) cold (also less sunlight) states.
> cold (also less sunlight)
Yeah, this is also consistent with northern Europe and its higher suicide rates in cold, long, and dark winters. There's definitely a correlation between sun exposure and suicide, while it's not the only factor.
Re: Show HN: Mortality Rates in the US Visualized
#40Suicide seems to be highest in rural (lonely) cold (also less sunlight) states.
For the "lonely" hypothesis, this map is not precise enough to confirm it. You would probably need a map with dots representing the exact location of all suicides on the map, and overlay it with a density map to see if there is a proper correlation or not.