Unlock Your Potential: Ace the American Board of Lifestyle Medicine Exam 2025 with Flair!

The leading cause of preventable morbidity and mortality in the United States is tobacco use. Tobacco consumption is significantly associated with a high incidence of various chronic diseases, including heart disease, stroke, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and multiple types of cancer, particularly lung cancer.

Due to the widespread use of tobacco products, both in the form of cigarettes and smokeless tobacco, it contributes to a substantial burden of disease. Tobacco-related illnesses result in hundreds of thousands of deaths annually, making it a major public health concern. Public health initiatives that focus on reducing tobacco use, such as smoking cessation programs, education about the risks of smoking, and policies to restrict tobacco advertising, are essential strategies in addressing this issue.

In contrast, while alcohol use, unprotected sexual intercourse, and intravenous drug use also contribute to preventable morbidity and mortality, they do not surpass the extensive impact of tobacco use in the United States. Understanding this hierarchy of risk is crucial for developing effective lifestyle medicine interventions.