Heart disease is currently the leading cause of death in the world. But this will no longer be true in 2010, when it’s expected that cancer will surpass heart disease as the leading cause of death. To put it more into perspective, cancer will cause more deaths than AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis — combined.

A recent article in the Washington Post talked about this disturbing development and also noted that in 2030, there may be 27 million people with cancer if new treatments aren’t found by then. Furthermore, there are expected to be 17 million cancer deaths each year by 2030. These figures were released in the 2008 World Cancer Report.

The article points out that around the world, the major avoidable risk for cancer and cancer deaths is smoking, something that about 1.3 billion people do. While there have been increases in lung cancer, which is smoking-related, there have also been increases in breast cancer in developing countries. Despite the fact that in developed countries cervical cancer is preventable and treatable, it’s a major cause of cancer deaths in developing countries.

Get a Cancer Screening

Get a cancer screening — it’s so important to your health. There are several cancer screenings available from HealthCheckUSA, like a colon cancer screening and an ovarian cancer screening. Regular cancer screenings enable cancer to be detected as early as possible, therefore making the survival rate higher. Cancer screenings are simply critical to survival.

Heart Disease Test: Beneficial to Your Health

A heart disease test is something extremely important, and many people may not be aware of just how important getting this test can be. A recent article in the Scotsman noted that there are disturbing new figures showing a rise in deaths from heart disease. Specifically, there’s an increase in coronary heart disease deaths among Scotland’s middle-aged men.

In Scotland, coronary heart disease is the leading cause of death. One in four men are killed due to coronary heart disease. This startling figure has been drawing attention to coronary heart disease, and rightfully so. Deaths among men in Scotland who are between 35 and 54 years old have gone up from 60 per 100,000 population in 2003 to 2006’s figure, which is 62 per 100,000 population. The death toll in 2006 was 159, while in 2003 the death toll was 143.

As attention is focused on coronary heart disease, experts are blaming a lack of exercise and obesity for the rise in deaths. Keep Well, a heart disease screening program run by the Scottish Government, might be extended to include 40-year-old men instead of just 45- to 64-year-old men. Men who use the services of Keep Well can take a heart disease test and get health advice if they need it.

In the United States, the figures on heart disease are just as disturbing as they are in Scotland. Heart disease was the leading cause of death in the US as of 2007. In just the United States, heart disease kills one person every 34 seconds.

Take a Heart Disease Test

The situation in Scotland and the figures from the US remind us how important it is to take a heart disease test if you’re at risk. Obesity, smoking and a family history of heart disease are things that can put you at risk for having it. If you are at risk, taking a heart disease test can be very beneficial to you health. HealthCheckUSA offers a heart disease test at several of their laboratory locations across America.