Michael Jackson dead of heart disease, Farrah Fawcett dies of cancer

June 25, 5:39 PMBirmingham Family Health ExaminerCarl Lowe

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Michael Jackson is dead at age 50 (AP)

Today, June 25, 2009, Michel Jackson died of a heart attack and Farrah Fawcett died of cancer. These two diseases represent the two leading killers of Americans. He was age 50, she was 62.

Both heart disease and cancer drain tremendous amounts of money from the American economy. Research at National Cancer Institute in Bethesda, Maryland and Virginia Commonwealth University and the Massey Cancer Center in Richmond, Virgnia, estimates that cancer deaths cost the United States $115.8 billion in lost productivity in the year 2000. Figuring out the costs for the year 2020, researchers estimate the cost will be over $300 billion in medical costs, productivity and care-giving expenses. (Journal of the National Cancer Institute, 12/08)

Heart disease and stroke costs the United States economy an estimated $475.3 billion a year, according to the American Heart Association and the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=4475)

Meanwhile, the Milken Institute estimates that all chronic disease cost the US more than $1 trillion dollars a year.( http://www.milkeninstitute.org/newsroom/newsroom.taf?cat=press&level1=new&function=detail&ID=129)