Although many Texans have an air of invincibility, death is nonetheless inevitable. How you are going to die, however, just might be determined by what state you live in.
According to a recent study on the most common causes of death, Texans succumb to stroke and blood poisoning at higher-than-average rates. In order to categorize the nation on these “death maps,” Slate's Ben Blatt referenced a 2008 CDC report on mortality rates. Though the maps might seem outdated, it's the most recent data available.
Because heart disease and cancer are recognized as the leading causes of death across America, these maps highlight the variety of terrifying ways by which we could also die. Blatt's analysis shows that most Texans die from a stroke, as do residents of two dozen other states, including California, Hawaii and Michigan.
Respiratory disease is the leading cause of death in more than 15 states, and six states have the embarrassing distinction of most often dying from accidents. We're looking at you, Louisiana.
On the map with the broadest spectrum of 10 possible fatalities, Texans predominantly died from septicemia — or death that occurs when bacteria enters the bloodstream. Other states such as Mississippi and Arkansas aligned with Texas, but the rest of the nation reported death from diabetes, influenza and kidney disease as most common.
Perhaps the phrase “what doesn’t kill you, makes you stronger,” should be rephrased to “what doesn’t kill you in New York might kill you in Texas.”
