Reflections on leading causes of death
October 12, 2023
Reflections on the data from:
- CDC: The Top Ten Leading Causes of Death in the US for Ages 1-44 from 1981-2020
- CDC: Top Ten Leading Causes of Death in the US
Leading Causes of Death Over Time
NOTE: The top leading cause of death is always "unintentional injury". These are the next leading causes (2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, and 6th). The notes here are on the other causes of death that aren't "unintentional injury".
CDC: The Top Ten Leading Causes of Death in the US for Ages 1-44 from 1981-2020
Top 5 leading causes of death besides "unintentional injury" from 1985-2020 in the US for Ages 1-44
1985
- Cancer
- Heart disease
- Suicide
- Homicide
- Liver disease
1995
- HIV
- Cancer
- Heart disease
- Suicide
- Homicide
2005
- Cancer
- Heart disease
- Suicide
- Homicide
- HIV
2010
- Cancer
- Suicide
- Heart disease
- Homicide
- Liver disease
2015-2019
- Suicide
- Cancer
- Heart disease
- Homicide
- Liver disease
2020
- Suicide
- Homicide
- Cancer
- Heart disease
- COVID-19
Reflections
(Context reminder: These stats are for people in the US under the age of 45, and the number one leading cause of death that isn't listed here is "unintentional injury".)
Suicide and Homicide
Suicide and Homicide slowly rose to the top of the list and are now the top two leading causes of death (besides "unintentional injury").
Viruses
HIV rose to the top in 1995 as the leading cause of death (besides "unintentional injury"). But in just over a decade it was knocked off the list almost entirely.
I believe this is because we're resilient when it comes to viruses. We can learn to control viruses and prevent disease progression. Within the first decade of the 2000s, improved treatments helped prevent the development of AIDS for most people with HIV.
Similarly, I predict that we will knock COVID-19 off the list in this current decade as we further learn to control it and prevent progression.
Leading Causes of Death Across Age Groups
NOTE: The top leading cause of death is always "unintentional injury". These are the next leading causes (2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 5th).
Leading causes of death besides "unintentional injury" from 2015-2020 in the US
Age 9
- Cancer
- Congenital Anomalies
- Homicide
- Chronic Lower Respiratory Disease
- Heart Disease
Age 10
- Cancer
- Congenital Anomalies
- Homicide
- Chronic Lower Respiratory Disease
- Suicide
Ages 11 and 12
- Cancer
- Suicide
- Congenital Anomalies
- Homicide
Age 13
- Suicide
- Cancer
- Homicide
- Congenital Anomalies
Age 14: * Unique exception!
- Tied for 1st and 2nd: Suicide and "unintentional injury"
- (tie)
- Cancer
- Homicide
- Congenital Anomalies
Age 15: * Unique exception!
- Suicide
- "unintentional injury"
- Homicide
- Cancer
- Heart Disease
Age 16
- Suicide
- Homicide
- Cancer
- Heart Disease
Ages 1-40 (also 10-20, 10-36, and 20-36)
- Suicide
- Homicide
- Cancer
- Heart Disease
Ages 30-40
- Suicide
- Cancer
- Heart Disease
- Homicide
Age 32
- Suicide
- Homicide
- Cancer
- Heart Disease
Ages 33-36
- Suicide
- Cancer
- Heart Disease
- Homicide
Ages 37-39
- Cancer
- Heart Disease
- Suicide
- Homicide
Ages 40-42
- Heart Disease
- Cancer
- Suicide
- Liver Disease
- Homicide
Ages 43-45
- Cancer
- Heart Disease
- Suicide
- Liver Disease
- Diabetes Mellitus
Ages 40-50
- Cancer
- Heart Disease
- Suicide
- Liver Disease
- Diabetes Mellitus
Ages 10-50
- Cancer
- Heart Disease
- Suicide
- Homicide
- Liver Disease
Reflections
(Context reminder: These stats are for people in the US under the age of 50, and the number one leading cause of death that isn't listed here is "unintentional injury".)
Suicide
Childhood: For younger children below the age of 10, suicide is not a leading cause of death. But by age 10, suicide first enters the list as the fifth (5th) leading cause of death (besides "unintentional injury"). By age 11 and 12, suicide is the second leading cause of death (besides "unintentional injury"), and by age 13, suicide becomes the lead (number one) cause of death (besides "unintentional injury") and stays that way until the age of 37.
Ages 13 and 14: At the age of 13, suicide actually surpasses "unintentional injury" as the true #1 lead cause of death. And at age 14, it is "tied" for first. By 15, "unintentional injury" returns to the top.
Teens to Late 30s: From ages 13 to 36, suicide is the lead cause of death, aside from "unintentional injury". (Technically, if "unintentional injury" is included, suicide is the second leading cause of death for ages 10-36.) This is also true at each given age throughout that range, meaning that at any age between 13-36 suicide is the number one cause of death (besides "unintentional injury").
From Teens Onward: Unfortunately, if you look at the "crude rate", the rate of suicides does not actually go down with age; instead, the "crude rate" rises with a peak around ages 45-65 but declining afterwards. ("The crude rate is calculated by dividing the number of deaths in a particular group by the total number of people in that group, then multiplying that ratio by 100,000.")
Homicide
After suicide, homicide is the second (technically third, including "unintentional injury") leading cause of death for ages 1-42.
However, homicide drops from being the second leading cause of death for ages 1-32 to being the fourth leading cause for ages 33-39. Then later it becomes the fifth leading cause for ages 40-42 before dropping off the list of the top 6 leading causes of death for people over the age of 42. From 42-50, homicide becomes the 8th leading cause of death.
Broader Reflections
What does it say about modern civilization if suicide and homicide are the leading causes of death, surpassing cancer and heart disease?
On one hand, we can celebrate the progress humanity makes towards eradicating viruses and diseases, yet, on the other hand, we must be deeply concerned about our lack of progress towards eradicating volitional acts of death.
While it is remarkable that health sciences have saved billions of lives at risk of death from viruses and diseases, it is deeply disconcerting that health and behavioral sciences have not saved as many lives from preventable deaths from suicide and homicide.
Both suicide and homicide (with the latin suffix "-cide", meaning "to kill") are deliberate acts of killing. In order to follow through on either form of killing, a person must intentionally wish for the death of either one's self or another. This is a willful decision.
With diseases, nothing is willful or intended. There is no deliberation or decision. And the causes do not stem from specific volitional acts.
It seems now that the next big battle against avoidable/preventable deaths is a matter of "man vs mind", instead of "man vs nature". While we continue to make strides against diseases and viruses, we must also rise to the challenge against what infects and poisons our minds and our relationships.
Perhaps these trends and changes over time in the leading causes of death is also a reflection of a civilization's priorities. I believe our society is focused far more on physical health than mental and social health. In fact, I believe our society struggles to prioritize the science of the mind and connection, and over the decades, this neglect is rearing its ugly head right before us as suicide and homicide.
Amazing efforts, funding, and prioritization have been poured into the health sciences focused on the body, pathology, and disease. This example demonstrates and proves that we can make great strides in areas we prioritize. Now we have our calling to take on our next biggest challenge: our minds and our relationships. It is time to give the mind equal (if not higher) priority as the body. Thus our efforts, funding, and research in health sciences must expand to cover our mental and social well-being.
The top two leading causes of death are both the results of poor mental and social well-being. We can no longer neglect our minds and our connections.
We must learn how to foster the flourishing of our minds and our relationships.