Tobacco smoking remains the No. 1 cause of preventable deaths in the United States, with high blood pressure and obesity following as the second and third reasons, according to a new study.

Researchers from the Harvard School of Public Health in Boston analyzed the effects of 12 modifiable metabolic, dietary and lifestyle risk factors on preventable adult deaths in 2005. The risk factors included alcohol use, tobacco smoking, high blood pressure, not eating enough fruits and vegetables, being overweight and/or obese, high sodium intake and physical inactivity.

The results showed that in 2005 tobacco smoking caused 467,000 adult deaths, high blood pressure was responsible for about 395,000 deaths and being overweight or obese accounted for 216,000 deaths. Physical inactivity was linked to about 191,000 deaths, and high sodium intake caused about 102,000 deaths.

The study concluded that targeting a handful of key risk factors could greatly reduce preventable deaths.

Interested in reducing your risk factors? Check out our “Yes You Can Kiss Smoking Good-bye,” “Don’t Like Dieting” and “The Frozen Ones”.