Researchers say more than 100,000 lives could be saved each year if more Americans would follow these basic health recommendations.
(Percentage of those who currently follow the recommendations is in parentheses.)
• 45,000 lives saved if 90 percent of adults would take aspirin daily to prevent heart disease. (Less than 50 percent)
• 42,000 lives saved if 90 percent of smokers were advised by health professionals to quit and were offered medication or other assistance. (28 percent)
• 14,000 lives saved if 90 percent of people age 50 and older stayed current with colorectal cancer screening. (Less than 50 percent)
• 12,000 lives saved if 90 percent of people age 50 and older got an annual flu shot. (37 percent)
• 4,000 lives saved if 90 percent of women age 40 and older made sure they've been screened for breast cancer in the past two years. (67 percent)
Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; Robert Wood Johnson Foundation; WellPoint Foundation