The Most-Surprising Cause of Death in Illinois Is ...

Heart disease, cancer and respiratory illnesses regularly top the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s annual tally of the leading causes of death among Americans. But in Illinois, the story is different.

Heart disease, cancer and respiratory illnesses are still killers in the Land of Lincoln, but Illinoisans are also more likely than the average American to die of an assault, which was indexed to 1.93 times the national average, according to an analysis by HealthGrove, a data-driven health news and information site.

Our friends in Wisconsin fall to their deaths. Over in Indiana, it's anemia. And in Iowa, it's good old-fashioned atherosclerosis — plaque-filled arteries from overeating all the wrong foods.

Most of the states where assault is a more likely cause of death are in the Deep South: Missouri, Louisiana, Tennessee, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina. Death before dishonor, perhaps.

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In its analysis of 2014 data from the CDC, HealthGrove looked at the 113 causes of death on the agency’s list, and found causes that were the most over-indexed in every state. Only conditions that led to 100 or more deaths per state were considered.

The analysis showed deadly regional trends. Assault also is the most over-indexed cause of death in Michigan (indexed to 1.94 times the national average), but among Illinois' closest neighbors, the data shows:

• Indiana: Anemias, indexed to 1.90 times the national average
• Wisconsin: Falls, indexed to 1.72 times the national average
• Iowa: Atherosclerosis, indexed to 1.63 times the national average
• Ohio: Accidental poisoning and exposure to noxious chemicals, indexed to 1.64 times the national average.

On the West Coast, hepatitis prevails and in mountain region states, suicide is the most over-indexed. Check out the graphic below for each state in the union.