S.J. coroner paints picture of violent year
A grim year of deadly violence in San Joaquin County produced a grim 2011 report from the county Coroner's Office.
The number of homicides throughout the county increased by 37 percent last year, according to the county coroner.
The office's annual report offers a detailed look at deaths investigated by the coroner.
Of 707 cases investigated, 93 were homicides and 80 percent of those involved guns and 67.7 percent of them were in Stockton.
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Homicides are alarming, but the annual coroner's report also provides insight into a range of causes of death.
Death in San Joaquin County reflects a national trend. Heart disease is at the top of the pathology list, making up more than half of the total number of natural-death cases - 157 out of 226 - reviewed by the coroner's office.
The county's total mortality number for heart disease is, however, five times higher than the coroner reported. The Sheriff's Office investigates only a fraction of heart-related deaths.
The county, which has a high rate of diabetes, has more residents at high risk of heart disease, said Ramin Mandashi, a Stockton physician and author of "The Wisdom of Heart Health."
Diabetes, hypertension, obesity, smoking and stress contribute to heart disease, Mandashi said.