<P> While a Canadian systematic review stated that the differences in the systems of Canada and the United States could not alone explain differences in healthcare outcomes, the study didn't consider that over 44,000 Americans die every year due to not having a single payer system for healthcare in the United States and it didn't consider the millions more that live without proper medical care due to a lack of insurance . </P> <P> The United States and Canada have different racial makeups, different obesity rates and different alcoholism rates, which would likely cause the US to have a shorter average life expectancy and higher infant mortality even with equal healthcare provided . The US population is 12.2% African Americans and 16.3% Hispanic Americans (2010 Census), whereas Canada has only 2.5% African Canadians and 0.97% Hispanic Canadians (2006 Census). African Americans have higher mortality rates than any other racial or ethnic group for eight of the top ten causes of death . The cancer incidence rate among African Americans is 10% higher than among European Americans . U.S. Latinos have higher rates of death from diabetes, liver disease, and infectious diseases than do non-Latinos . Adult African Americans and Latinos have approximately twice the risk as European Americans of developing diabetes . The infant mortality rates for African Americans is twice that of whites . Unfortunately, directly comparing infant mortality rates between countries is difficult, as countries have different definitions of what qualifies as an infant death . </P> <P> Another issue with comparing the two systems is the baseline health of the patient's for which the systems must treat . Canada has only half the obesity rate that the US system must deal with (14.3% vs 30.6%). On average, obesity reduces life expectancy by 6--7 years . </P> <P> A 2004 study found that Canada had a slightly higher mortality rate for acute myocardial infarction (heart attack) because of the more conservative Canadian approach to revascularizing (opening) coronary arteries . </P>

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