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Avoiding Premature Death

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Always wear seat belts, both front and back

Wearing a seat belt in the front seat cuts the risk of dying in a crash by roughly half. For drivers and passengers in light trucks, the reduction is …

Cost
No cost at all. It only adds about 2 seconds to every trip.
Benefit
According to NHTSA estimates, seat belts lower the risk of fatal injury for front‑seat occ…

Wearing a helmet and fastening the strap while riding motorcycles or e-bikes

Wearing a helmet and fastening the strap properly reduces a motorcyclist’s risk of dying in an accident by roughly 40%. The chance of suffering a head…

Cost
A helmet costs between 100 and 300 yuan. It takes just 5 seconds to put on each time.
Benefit
Cochrane pooled data from multiple studies. For motorcyclists wearing helmets, the risk of…

Replace gas hoses and stoves when they reach their expiration date; never modify the piping yourself, and you may decline any unsolicited sales pitches from gas companies.

Replace expired gas hoses and appliances: this is a user obligation in China's Regulations on Urban Gas Management. The regulations prohibit unauthori…

Cost
A compliant gas hose costs only a few dozen yuan. Stoves should be replaced every few year…
Benefit
The regulations designate “promptly replacing gas appliances and connecting hoses that hav…

Electric bicycles must not be pushed into stairwells, elevators, or charged indoors

Pushing an electric bike into a stairwell, elevator, or charging it at home is strictly prohibited under the Ministry of Emergency Management’s regula…

Cost
No direct cost. The tricky part is having to walk a few dozen meters each time to reach th…
Benefit
The regulations explicitly forbid parking or charging electric bikes in public lobbies, ha…

Measuring blood pressure and taking meds to reach target levels

For every 10 mmHg drop in blood pressure, the risk of major cardiovascular problems falls by 20%, stroke risk drops 27%, heart failure risk drops 28%,…

Cost
An electronic sphygmomanometer costs 100–200 RMB. Each measurement takes 1 minute. Most an…
Benefit
Data from 123 clinical trials involving over 610,000 participants shows that a 10 mmHg red…

After age 35, anyone who is overweight should get a fasting blood glucose test; if the result is normal, repeat it every three years.

For just a few dozen yuan, a single blood test can detect prediabetes even when there are absolutely no symptoms at all. Official US screening guideli…

Cost
A fasting blood glucose test costs just a few dozen yuan. Testing for glycated hemoglobin …
Benefit
The US Preventive Services Task Force is the official body that issues screening recommend…

Use a car seat for children under 4, don’t hold them in your arms

For infants under one year old, using a car seat cuts the risk of a fatal injury in a crash by roughly 70%. For children aged 1 to 4, the risk drops b…

Cost
A seat costs between 300 and 2,000 yuan and lasts several years. It adds about one minute …
Benefit
According to the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), car seats lo…

Install window guards and balcony barriers if you have kids at home; screen windows do not count as protection

These window guards cost only a few dozen yuan each. New York City once offered free window guards to high-risk households and provided on-site guidan…

Cost
A set of window guards or child safety locks costs just a few dozen yuan to install, and t…
Benefit
Since 1972, New York City has run a program called “Kids Can’t Fly,” which distributes fre…

Keep young children in sight near water; wear life jackets when boating or swimming

Wearing a life jacket while in the water cuts the risk of drowning to roughly half compared to not wearing one. Drowning remains the leading cause of …

Cost
Life jackets cost between 50 and 200 yuan. Additionally, parents must dedicate constant at…
Benefit
Research using U.S. Coast Guard data compared similar groups of people. For individuals wh…

Exercising balance and leg strength for people over 60, plus home modifications

Doing balance exercises such as Tai Chi two or three times weekly can cut the overall number of falls among older adults by roughly 23%. It also reduc…

Cost
Aim to practice balance exercises two to three times per week, each session lasting 30 min…
Benefit
Cochrane analyzed 108 separate trials involving 23,407 participants. Collectively, these s…

Get tested for hepatitis B markers; if no antibodies, get vaccinated

The test itself is very inexpensive. In Qidong’s 30‑year follow‑up study, infants who received the hepatitis B vaccine at birth had an 84% lower risk …

Cost
The test costs just a few dozen yuan per person. For adults lacking antibodies, three dose…
Benefit
This Qidong trial used group randomization rather than individual assignment and was track…

If you get pricked by a nail or splinter, or if a wound gets dirty with soil, seek treatment the same day and ask whether a tetanus shot is needed.

Once tetanus sets in, about 1 out of every 10 people dies. The risk is highest for deep wounds or wounds contaminated with dirt. If a wound is dirty a…

Cost
Seeing a doctor and having the wound treated typically costs a few dozen yuan. If a shot i…
Benefit
In the U.S., roughly 1 out of every 10 tetanus cases ends in death. Deep wounds and those …

The earlier women get the HPV vaccine, the better

Data from 1.67 million Swedish women show that those who received the HPV vaccine before age 17 have only about one‑eighth the risk of developing inva…

Cost
Domestic bivalent vaccines cost around 300 RMB per dose, while imported 9‑valent vaccines …
Benefit
Swedish research on 1.67 million women found that vaccinated individuals have a much lower…

Breast cancer screening for women: mammograms every two years starting at age 40

For women aged 40 to 74, having a mammogram every two years is a clear recommendation in official US screening guidelines. For women over 75, and for …

Cost
A mammogram costs around 200–300 yuan each time. Many regions also offer free screening pr…
Benefit
The US Preventive Services Task Force is the official body that issues screening recommend…

For women over 30, HPV testing should be the first choice for cervical cancer screening

In that rural Indian trial, women who underwent just one HPV test in their lifetime had roughly half the risk of dying from cervical cancer and about …

Cost
An HPV test costs between 100 and 300 yuan. Women with a negative result can get tested ag…
Benefit
This trial in rural India used group-level rather than individual randomization, involving…

People with cardiovascular disease and older adults should get a flu shot each year

In a trial involving people after a heart attack, the yearly death rate dropped from 4.9% to 2.9% after they received the flu vaccine. For people with…

Cost
One shot costs 50 to 150 yuan. It should be given once each autumn.
Benefit
This trial included 2,571 participants after a myocardial infarction; neither doctors nor …

Getting the shingles vaccine after age 50

In clinical trials, this vaccine proved 97% effective at preventing shingles across all age groups. The downside is that both doses cost several thous…

Cost
The recombinant shingles vaccine requires two doses, costing roughly 3,000 to 4,000 yuan i…
Benefit
This Phase 3 trial involved 15,400 participants from 18 countries. Participants were rando…

Pneumococcal vaccine for people over 65

In a trial involving 84,500 seniors, the 13-valent pneumococcal vaccine cut cases of pneumonia caused by strains it targets by roughly 46%, and reduce…

Cost
Several hundred yuan. In some regions, it is provided free of charge for seniors.
Benefit
Researchers in the Netherlands randomly assigned 84,500 seniors over 65 to two groups for …

Testing for Helicobacter pylori and eradicating it if positive

A 22-year follow-up study conducted in Linqu, Shandong, showed that individuals who had Helicobacter pylori eradicated had roughly half the risk of de…

Cost
The carbon-13 or carbon-14 breath test costs 100 to 200 yuan. Eradicating the bacteria req…
Benefit
This randomized trial in Linqu, Shandong, followed participants for 22 years. Those who un…

Heavy smokers should get a low-dose chest CT once a year

Eligible heavy smokers who get a low-dose CT once a year have a 20% lower risk of dying from lung cancer and a 6.7% lower overall risk of death compar…

Cost
The test costs 200–400 yuan per session and takes just 10 minutes. You must also factor in…
Benefit
The NLST trial in the U.S. enrolled 53,454 participants aged 55–74 with at least 30 pack-y…

Call 12356 if you’re depressed or having suicidal thoughts; don’t keep sleeping pills or pesticides at home

Removing lethal items from easy reach is a proven way to cut suicide risk: after restricting access to painkillers, suicide rates linked to them dropp…

Cost
There’s no cost involved. You just need to make one phone call. Plus, lock away any medica…
Benefit
A recent review of nearly a decade’s worth of research confirms that limiting people’s acc…

Purchase fire extinguishers, fire blankets, escape respirators, and first-aid kits, then inspect them once a year

Fire extinguishers, fire blankets, escape respirators, and first-aid kits are all included in the Emergency Management Department’s list of 11 essenti…

Cost
A set of fire extinguishers, fire blankets, one respirator per person, and a first-aid kit…
Benefit
The Emergency Management Department’s “National Recommended List of Basic Household Emerge…

If erectile dysfunction appears, check cardiovascular health first — don’t treat it as a purely sexual issue

Men with erectile dysfunction later develop cardiovascular disease at roughly 40% higher rates than other men, and heart attacks at about 60% higher r…

Cost
A doctor’s visit costs just a few dozen yuan. Measuring blood pressure and running tests f…
Benefit
One meta‑analysis combined data from 14 long‑term studies involving 92,757 men, followed f…

Always use condoms during sex and never share needles

Using a condom every time throughout sex cuts the chance of HIV transmission between heterosexual partners by roughly 70% or more. “Most of the time” …

Cost
A single condom costs just one or two yuan. The challenge isn’t the price, but making sure…
Benefit
One study pooled data from 25 separate studies involving 10,676 heterosexual couples in wh…

If you’ve engaged in high‑risk behavior, get tested for HIV — the Chinese CDC offers free testing with full confidentiality.

Testing for HIV at the Chinese CDC costs nothing. According to the “National Measures for HIV Testing Management,” staff are prohibited from disclosin…

Cost
There is no charge. You simply visit the Chinese CDC or a designated medical facility and …
Benefit
Article 23 of the “Regulations on HIV/AIDS Prevention and Control” mandates that local hea…

As soon as suicidal thoughts arise, tell someone nearby and hand over those first few minutes

Among 82 people who attempted suicide, 47.6% reported that only 10 minutes or less passed from the first appearance of suicidal thoughts to the actual…

Cost
No cost involved. The hard part is actually speaking up at that moment and admitting you c…
Benefit
Interviews conducted within three days of admission with those 82 individuals showed that …

Don’t treat “survival” as a safety net: after ingesting paraquat or inhaling carbon monoxide, emergency care can save lives, but it rarely preserves lung or brain function.

There is no antidote for paraquat. Gastric lavage is not recommended, and neither hemofiltration nor dialysis alters its disease progression. Paraquat…

Cost
No cost involved. It simply helps you understand this reality up front.
Benefit
A systematic review on paraquat poisoning highlights its extremely high mortality rate, st…

Don’t trade “losing one kidney is no big deal” for cash: the remaining kidney has to do the work of two, and 86% of kidney sellers later say their health got worse

First, consider the best-case scenario: legitimate donors who pass rigorous screening and receive post‑surgery follow‑up. In U.S. data from nearly 96,…

Cost
No cost at all. It simply requires a clear look at the facts.
Benefit
U.S. researchers compared 96,217 living kidney donors with 20,024 similarly healthy non‑do…

Don’t pick up, disassemble, or sell unidentified metal parts; stay clear of areas marked with the clover symbol

Radiation has no smell, color, or temperature. Most radioactive sources look like ordinary pieces of metal, so “it looks harmless” is not a reliable i…

Cost
No cost involved. If you see unfamiliar metal cylinders, lead containers, or parts removed…
Benefit
As of 2025, roughly 178,000 radioactive sources and 355,000 radiation devices are in use n…

When gambling leads to borrowing money and persistent low mood, call 12356 first and then hand over your bank cards and payment passwords to family members.

Individuals who have sought treatment for gambling problems are 15 times more likely to die by suicide and 1.8 times more likely to die overall compar…

Cost
No cost involved. Simply make one phone call and give your bank cards, payment passwords, …
Benefit
A nationwide Swedish registry study examined 2,099 individuals diagnosed with gambling dis…

Men who have sex with men at high risk of HIV infection can lower their infection risk by about 70% by taking pre-exposure prophylaxis on schedule

People who aren’t yet infected can take an antiviral drug called pre-exposure prophylaxis to protect themselves. Those who take it consistently cut th…

Cost
This is a prescription medication, so in most places it must be paid for out of pocket. Pr…
Benefit
This medication is a fixed-dose combination of emtricitabine and tenofovir. In the iPrEx t…

Women aged 65 and older should have a dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) bone density test; postmenopausal women with osteoporosis risk factors need not wait until 65

Women aged 65 and older, and postmenopausal women with osteoporosis risk factors, should have bone density measured once. When screening starts with f…

Cost
A hospital DXA scan of the lumbar spine and hip takes a few minutes lying down. Out-of-poc…
Benefit
The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force 2025 recommendation is osteoporosis screening for …

If you are diagnosed with osteoporosis, or have fractured from a minor fall, ask a doctor for osteoporosis medication and keep taking it—do not treat calcium supplements as a substitute

If osteoporosis is confirmed, or you have already fractured from a light fall, following a doctor's drug plan cuts hip fractures by about half and sym…

Cost
Prescription required; use continues for years. Common options include once-weekly oral dr…
Benefit
Fragility fracture means a fracture from minor trauma or everyday activity. The Chinese Me…

Drill and measure ice thickness before stepping onto outdoor ice; stay off if under 15 cm (6 inches), and avoid river ice and ice fishing holes

Official safety standards require ice to be at least 15 cm (6 inches) thick before adults can safely skate on it. Guidelines in the United States and …

Cost
The most cost-effective option is to use managed, regulated ice rinks, which incurs no ext…
Benefit
Official meteorological and water safety guidance states that ice must reach 15 cm in thic…

Fit safety guards, wear safety goggles plus a full-face shield before using an angle grinder, grip firmly with both hands, and never mount toothed woodworking saw blades

Angle grinders spin at extreme speeds (over 10,000 RPM). If an abrasive disc shatters, fragments fly out at ballistic velocity, and mounting a toothed…

Cost
A pair of impact-rated safety goggles and a full-face shield cost $15–$30. Checking the gu…
Benefit
Safety directives from the Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety (CCOHS) and …

Ask someone who seems emotionally distressed directly "Have you had thoughts of suicide?"—asking will not plant the idea or increase suicidal risk

The widespread fear that asking someone about suicide puts the idea in their head is directly refuted by scientific evidence. In randomized trials whe…

Cost
Zero financial cost. Asking takes seconds, followed by taking time to listen attentively w…
Benefit
In a randomized controlled trial published in JAMA involving 2,342 students across six New…

If you experience palpitations or an irregular heartbeat, get an ECG; if diagnosed with atrial fibrillation, consult a doctor about anticoagulants to prevent stroke, and do not substitute aspirin

Atrial fibrillation (AFib) causes the heart's upper chambers to beat chaotically, allowing blood to pool and form clots; if a clot travels to the brai…

Cost
A standard ECG costs just a few dozen yuan (under $10). Warfarin is inexpensive but requir…
Benefit
AFib causes chaotic atrial quivering, leading to blood stasis and thrombus formation. The …

Adults should screen once for hepatitis C antibodies; if positive, get an RNA test, and if confirmed, complete an 8- to 12-week course of oral antivirals to achieve a cure in over 95% of cases

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) can silently damage the liver for decades without causing any symptoms; a simple antibody blood test, followed by an RNA test …

Cost
An anti-HCV antibody blood test costs a few dozen yuan ($5–$15) out of pocket. If positive…
Benefit
Hepatitis C is a blood-borne viral infection with no preventive vaccine. The World Health …

Ventilate septic tanks, sewer manholes, cesspools, vegetable cellars, and fermentation tanks before entering; if someone collapses inside, never jump in after them—call emergency services immediately

Septic tanks, manholes, cesspools, and sealed vegetable cellars accumulate lethal concentrations of toxic gases (like hydrogen sulfide) and suffer sev…

Cost
Zero financial cost. Opening all covers and ventilation shafts and waiting upwind takes so…
Benefit
A "confined space" refers to enclosed or partially enclosed spaces not designed for contin…

Adults aged 45 and older living in high-incidence areas for gastric and esophageal cancers, with family history, or tested positive for H. pylori, should undergo screening gastroscopy

For individuals aged 45 and older in high-risk categories for gastric or esophageal cancers, undergoing gastroscopy is associated with a roughly 50% l…

Cost
A standard diagnostic gastroscopy costs a few hundred yuan ($40–$80); painless gastroscopy…
Benefit
The 2024 screening protocols issued by the National Health Commission of China define high…

Consume soaked black fungus (wood ear) and silver ear within the same meal without storing overnight, eat fresh wet rice noodles on the day of purchase, and never make fermented cornmeal at home

Black fungus and tremella (silver ear) soaked for extended periods, improperly stored fresh wet rice noodles, and home-fermented corn flour products c…

Cost
Zero financial cost. Soak only the quantity of wood ear or silver ear needed for a single …
Benefit
According to the China National Foodborne Disease Outbreak Surveillance System, between 20…