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Causes of Death in the US, 2020 (Unless otherwise indicated) Cause of Death: Number : All Causes: 3,383,729 : Major Cardiovascular Diseases (MCD) 923237: Diseases of Heart [subset of MCD] 696,962: Cerebrovascular Diseases [subset of MCD] 160,264: Essential Hypertension and Hypertensive Renal Disease [subset of MCD] 41,907: Malignant Neoplasms ...
- Overview
- 1. Heart disease
- 2. Cancer
- 3. COVID-19
- 4. Accidents (unintentional injuries)
- 5. Stroke
- 6. Chronic lower respiratory diseases
- 7. Alzheimer’s disease
- 8. Diabetes
- 9. Chronic liver disease and cirrhosis
Heart disease and cancer are the top two causes of death. Though there’s no guarantee, making healthy choices can lower your chance of being affected by these and other leading causes of death.
For over a decade, heart disease and cancer have claimed the first and second spots, respectively, as the leading causes of deaths in America. Together, the two causes are responsible for 37.5 percent of deaths in the United States.
Combined with the third most common cause of death — COVID-19 — the three diseases account for half of all deaths in the United States.
For more than 30 years, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has been collecting and examining causes of death. This information helps researchers and doctors understand if they need to address growing epidemics in healthcare.
The numbers also help them understand how preventive measures may help people live longer and healthier lives.
The top 10 causes of death in the United States account for more than 75 percent of all deaths. Learn about each of the main causes and what can be done to prevent them.
What causes heart disease?
Heart disease is a term used to describe a range of conditions that affect your heart and blood vessels. These conditions include: •heart arrhythmias (irregular heartbeats) •coronary artery disease (blocked arteries) •heart defects
Tips for prevention
Lifestyle changes can prevent many cases of heart disease, such as the following: •Quit smoking. Here are some apps to help you. •Eat a healthier diet. •Exercise at least 30 minutes per day, five days a week. •Maintain a healthy weight.
Number of deaths per year: 605,213
Percent of total deaths: 17 percent
More common among: Each type of cancer has a specific set of risk factors, but several risk factors are common among multiple types. These risk factors include:
•people of a certain age
•people who use tobacco and alcohol
•people exposed to radiation and a lot of sunlight
Number of deaths per year: 416,893
Percent of total deaths: 12 percent
What causes accidents?
Accidents lead to more than 28 million emergency room visits each year. The three leading causes of accident-related death are: •unintentional falls •motor vehicle traffic deaths •unintentional poisoning deaths
Tips for prevention
Unintentional injuries may be the result of carelessness or a lack of careful action. Be aware of your surroundings. Take all proper precautions to prevent accidents or injuries. If you hurt yourself, seek emergency medical treatment to prevent serious complications.
What causes a stroke?
A stroke occurs when the blood flow to your brain is cut off. Without oxygen-rich blood flowing to your brain, your brain cells begin to die in a matter of minutes. The blood flow can be stopped because of a blocked artery or bleeding in the brain. This bleeding may be from an aneurysm or a broken blood vessel.
Tips for prevention
Many of the same lifestyle changes that can reduce your risk for heart disease can also reduce your risk for stroke: •Maintain a healthy weight. Exercise more and eat healthier. •Manage your blood pressure. •Stop smoking. Drink only in moderation. •Manage your blood sugar level and diabetes. •Treat any underlying heart defects or diseases.
What causes respiratory diseases?
This group of diseases includes: •chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) •emphysema •asthma •pulmonary hypertension Each of these conditions or diseases prevents your lungs from working properly. They can also cause scarring and damage to the lung’s tissues.
Tips for prevention
Tobacco use and secondhand smoke exposure are the primary factors in the development of these diseases. Quit smoking. Limit your exposure to other people’s smoke to reduce your risk. See what readers had to say when asked for real and practical tips to help you quit smoking.
What causes Alzheimer’s disease?
The cause of Alzheimer’s disease is unclear, but researchers and doctors believe a combination of a person’s genes, lifestyle, and environment impacts the brain over time. Some of these changes occur years, even decades, before the first symptoms appear.
Tips for prevention
While you can’t control your age or genetics, which are two of the most common risk factors for this disease, you can control certain lifestyle factors that may increase your risk for it by doing the following: •Exercise more often than not. Remain physically active throughout your life. •Eat a diet filled with fruits, vegetables, healthy fats, and reduced sugar. •Treat and monitor any other chronic diseases you have. •Keep your brain active with stimulating tasks like conversation, puzzles, and reading.
Number of deaths per year: 103,294
Percent of total deaths: 3 percent
More common among:
Type 1 diabetes is more commonly diagnosed in:
•people with a family history of the disease, or a specific gene that increases the risk
•children between the ages of 4 and 7
What causes liver disease?
Both liver disease and cirrhosis are the result of liver damage.
Tips for prevention
If you feel you’re misusing alcohol, see a healthcare provider. They can help you get treatment. This may include a combination of: •detox •therapy •support groups •rehab The longer and more you drink, the greater your risk for developing liver disease or cirrhosis. Likewise, if you receive a diagnosis of hepatitis, follow your doctor’s instructions in treating the condition to prevent unnecessary liver damage.
This first table gives a convenient overview of the general categories and broad causes. The leading cause is cardiovascular disease at 31.59% of all deaths. Rate of death by cause. Percent of all deaths. Category. Cause. Percent. Percent. I. Communicable, maternal, neonatal, and nutritional disorders.
Nov 8, 2023 · Death tolls corroborate her claim. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that more than 107,000 Americans died of drug overdoses in 2021 — roughly one overdose every five minutes. Of these, deaths from fentanyl and other synthetic opioids (non-methadone) increased by 23% in 2021 to an estimated 71,000 deaths in people ...
Jun 15, 2021 · In the WONDER query system, deaths were identified as due to a drug overdose if the ICD-10 code for the underlying cause of death was X40-X44 (accidental poisoning), X60-X64 (intentional self-poisoning) or Y10-Y14 (poisoning of undetermined intent). A small number of overdose deaths that were the result of homicide (underlying cause of death ...
Mar 2, 2021 · Collectively, drugs and alcohol were responsible for more than 1.3 million deaths among the U.S. working-age (ages 25–64) population between 1990 and 2018 (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC], 2020b).1,2 Drug poisoning accounted for 756,160 deaths,3 while 374,197 deaths were alcohol-induced.4 Mental and behavioral disorders5due to psychoactive substances (drugs and alcohol ...
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Drug overdoses, both fatal and nonfatal, continue to impact our nation. Overdose deaths remain a leading cause of injury-related death in the United States. The majority of overdose deaths involve opioids. Deaths involving synthetic opioids (largely illicitly made fentanyl) and stimulants (such as cocaine and methamphetamine) have increased in ...
