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Diseases » Death » Causes

Causes of Death

Contents

Introduction: Death
Excerpts from book chapters
Drug, medication or substance causes (55 listings)
Drug interaction causes (1748 listings)
Complication causes
Causes of symptoms
News
Statistics about causes
Related cause information

Causes of Death: Online Medical Books

16 MEDICAL BOOKS ONLINE! Review excerpts from medical books online, free, without registration, for more information about the causes of Death.

Sudden infant death syndrome: Causes and incidence
(Professional Guide to Diseases (Eighth Edition))

SIDS is the third leading cause of death in infants between age 1 month and 1 year. It occurs more commonly in winter months. The incidence is higher in males, premature neonates, and those who sleep on their stomachs or in cribs with soft bedding. Incidence is also higher among neonates born in conditions of poverty and to those who were one of a single multiple birth, such as twins and triplets, and to mothers who smoke, take drugs, or failed to seek prenatal care until late in the pregnancy. SIDS may also result from an abnormality in the control of ventilation that allows carbon dioxide to build up in the blood, thereby causing prolonged apneic periods with profound hypoxemia and serious cardiac arrhythmias. It’s also thought to be associated with problems in sleep arousal.

READ BOOK EXCERPT ONLINE »

Sudden infant death syndrome: Causes
(Handbook of Diseases)

SIDS is one of the leading causes of infant death. Most of these deaths occur during the winter, in poor families, and among underweight babies and those born to mothers younger than age 20.

Although infants who die from SIDS often appear healthy, research suggests that many may have had undetected abnormalities, such as an immature respiratory system and respiratory dysfunction. In fact, the current thinking is that SIDS may result from an abnormality in the control of ventilation, which causes prolonged apneic periods with profound hypoxemia and serious cardiac arrhythmias.

Risk factors for the infant include sleeping on the stomach (up to age 4 months), soft bedding in the crib (up to age 1 year), premature birth, having a history of a sibling who had SIDS, and being born into poverty. Maternal risk factors include multiple births, smoking or illicit drug use, teenage motherhood, short intervals between pregnancies, and late prenatal care.

READ BOOK EXCERPT ONLINE »

Death as a complication of other conditions:

Other conditions that might have Death as a complication may, potentially, be an underlying cause of Death. Our database lists the following as having Death as a complication of that condition:

Death as a symptom:

Conditions listing Death as a symptom may also be potential underlying causes of Death. Our database lists the following as having Death as a symptom of that condition:

Medications or substances causing Death:

The following drugs, medications, substances or toxins are some of the possible causes of Death as a symptom. This list is incomplete and various other drugs or substances may cause your symptoms. Always advise your doctor of any medications or treatments you are using, including prescription, over-the-counter, supplements, herbal or alternative treatments.

See full list of 55 medications causing Death

Drug interactions causing Death:

When combined, certain drugs, medications, substances or toxins may react causing Death as a symptom.

The list below is incomplete and various other drugs or substances may cause your symptoms. Always advise your doctor of any medications or treatments you are using, including prescription, over-the-counter, supplements, herbal or alternative treatments.

Furazolidone (Furoxone) and amphetamines interaction
Furazolidone (Furoxone) and Benzphetamine (Didrex) interaction
Furazolidone (Furoxone) and Cocaine interaction
Furazolidone (Furoxone) and Dextroamphetamine (Dexedrine) interaction
Furazolidone (Furoxone) and Diethylpropion (Tenuate) interaction

See full list of 1748 drug interactions causing Death

What causes Death?

Article excerpts about the causes of Death:
Lack of physical activity and poor diet, taken together, are the second largest underlying cause of death in the United States. (Smoking is the #1 cause.) (Source: excerpt from Exercise Feeling Fit For Life - Age Page - Health Information: NIA)

Medical news summaries relating to Death:

The following medical news items are relevant to causes of Death:

Cause statistics for Death:

The following are statistics from various sources about the causes of Death:

Top causes of death in the USA in 1999 for all persons [CDC NVSR 2001]:
- heart disease (30.3% of deaths for any age)
- cancer (23.0% of deaths for any age)
- cerebrovascular diseases including stroke (7.0% of deaths for any age)
- chronic lower respiratory diseases (5.2% of deaths for any age)
- accidents (4.1% of deaths for any age)
- diabetes (2.9% of deaths for any age)
- Alzheimer's (1.9% of deaths for any age)
- kidney diseases (1.5% of deaths for any age)
- septicemia (1.3% of deaths for any age)
- Other causes (20.2% of deaths for any age)
Top causes of death for infants aged less than 1 year in the USA 1999 [CDC NVSR 2001]:
- congenital defects including chromosome conditions (19.6% of deaths less than 1 year old)
- Disorders related to prematurity and low birth weight (15.7% of deaths less than 1 year old)
- SIDS (9.5% of deaths less than 1 year old)
- Maternal pregnancy complications affecting newborn (5.0% of deaths less than 1 year old)
- respiratory distress syndrome of newborn (4.0% of deaths less than 1 year old)
- Complications of placenta affecting newborn (3.7% of deaths less than 1 year old)
- accidents (3.0% of deaths less than 1 year old)
- bacterial sepsis of newborn (2.5% of deaths less than 1 year old)
- circulatory system diseases (2.4% of deaths less than 1 year old)
- atelectasis (2.3% of deaths less than 1 year old)
- Other causes (32.4% of deaths less than 1 year old)
Top causes of death for neonates (first 28 days) in the USA 1999:
- Disorders related to prematurity and low birth weight (23.1% of deaths for neonates) [CDC NVSR 2001]
- congenital defects including chromosome conditions (20.8% of deaths for neonates) [CDC NVSR 2001]
- Maternal pregnancy complications affecting newborn (7.4% of deaths for neonates) [CDC NVSR 2001]
- respiratory distress syndrome of newborn (5.6% of deaths for neonates) [CDC NVSR 2001]
- Complications of placenta affecting newborn (5.4% of deaths for neonates) [CDC NVSR 2001]
- bacterial sepsis of newborn (3.5% of deaths for neonates) [CDC NVSR 2001]
- atelectasis (3.4% of deaths for neonates) [CDC NVSR 2001]
- In-uterus hypoxia and birth asphyxia (3.1% of deaths for neonates) [CDC NVSR 2001]
- neonatal hemorrhage (2.6% of deaths for neonates) [CDC NVSR 2001]
- necrotizing enterocolitis of newborn (1.9% of deaths for neonates) [CDC NVSR 2001]
- Other causes (23.2% of deaths for neonates) [CDC NVSR 2001]
Top ten causes of death for non-neonate infants aged less than 1 year but older than 28 days in the USA 1999 [CDC NVSR 2001]:
- SIDS (26.5% of deaths for non-neonate infants)
- congenital defects including chromosome conditions (19.4% of deaths for non-neonate infants)
- accidents (8.1% of deaths for non-neonate infants)
- circulatory system diseases (4.5% of deaths for non-neonate infants)
- septicemia (2.8% of deaths for non-neonate infants)
- homicide (2.8% of deaths for non-neonate infants)
- chronic respiratory disease from perinatal period (2.7% of deaths for non-neonate infants)
- Digestive conditions including gastritis, duodenitis, non-infectious enteritis, and colitis (2.2% of deaths for non-neonate infants)
- meningitis (0.9% of deaths for non-neonate infants)
- Other causes (27.4% of deaths for non-neonate infants)
Top ten causes of death for age 1-4 years in the USA 1999 [CDC NVSR 2001]:
- accidents (36.2% of deaths for age 1-4 years)
- congenital defects including chromosome conditions (10.5% of deaths for age 1-4 years)
- cancer (8.0% of deaths for age 1-4 years)
- homicide (7.2% of deaths for age 1-4 years)
- heart disease (3.5% of deaths for age 1-4 years)
- influenza and pneumonia (2.5% of deaths for age 1-4 years)
- perinatal conditions (1.8% of deaths for age 1-4 years)
- septicemia (1.7% of deaths for age 1-4 years)
- Non-malignant cancers (1.2% of deaths for age 1-4 years)
- Chronic lower respiratory diseases (1.0% of deaths for age 1-4 years)
- Other causes (26.7% of deaths for age 1-4 years)
Top ten causes of death for age 5-9 years in the USA 1999 [CDC NVSR 2001]:
- accidents (42.0% of deaths for age 5-9 years)
- cancer (14.7% of deaths for age 5-9 years)
- congenital defects including chromosome conditions (6.0% of deaths for age 5-9 years)
- homicide (5.4% of deaths for age 5-9 years)
- heart disease (3.3% of deaths for age 5-9 years)
- non-malignant cancers (1.8% of deaths for age 5-9 years)
- chronic lower respiratory diseases (1.4% of deaths for age 5-9 years)
- septicemia (1.4% of deaths for age 5-9 years)
- influenza and pneumonia (1.3% of deaths for age 5-9 years)
- HIV (1.1% of deaths for age 5-9 years)
- Other causes (21.7% of deaths for age 5-9 years)
Top ten causes of death for age 10-14 years in the USA 1999 [CDC NVSR 2001]:
- accidents (39.6% of deaths for age 10-14 years)
- cancer (12.2% of deaths for age 10-14 years)
- homicide (6.0% of deaths for age 10-14 years)
- suicide (5.9% of deaths for age 10-14 years)
- congenital defects including chromosome conditions (5.4% of deaths for age 10-14 years)
- heart disease (3.9% of deaths for age 10-14 years)
- chronic lower respiratory disease (2.2% of deaths for age 10-14 years)
- influenza and pneumonia (1.1% of deaths for age 10-14 years)
- cerebrovascular diseases including stroke (0.9% of deaths for age 10-14 years)
- Non-malignant cancers (0.9% of deaths for age 10-14 years)
- Other causes (21.9% of deaths for age 10-14 years)
Top ten causes of death for age 15-19 years in the USA 1999 [CDC NVSR 2001]:
- accidents (48.5% of deaths for age 15-19 years)
- homicide (15.2% of deaths for age 15-19 years)
- suicide (11.7% of deaths for age 15-19 years)
- cancer (5.4% of deaths for age 15-19 years)
- heart diseases (3.4% of deaths for age 15-19 years)
- congenital conditions including chromosome conditions (1.6% of deaths for age 15-19 years)
- chronic lower respiratory diseases (0.8% of deaths for age 15-19 years)
- influenza and pneumonia (0.5% of deaths for age 15-19 years)
- cerebrovascular diseases including stroke (0.5% of deaths for age 15-19 years)
- Non-malignant cancers (0.4% of deaths for age 15-19 years)
- Other causes (12.0% of deaths for age 15-19 years)
Top ten causes of death for age 20-24 years in the USA 1999 [CDC NVSR 2001]:
- accidents (41.3% of deaths for age 20-24 years)
- homicide (17.2% of deaths for age 20-24 years)
- suicide (13.5% of deaths for age 20-24 years)
- cancer (5.8% of deaths for age 20-24 years)
- heart disease (3.6% of deaths for age 20-24 years)
- congenital defects including chromosome conditions (1.3% of deaths for age 20-24 years)
- HIV (1.0% of deaths for age 20-24 years)
- cerebrovascular diseases including stroke (0.7% of deaths for age 20-24 years)
- influenza and pneumonia (0.6% of deaths for age 20-24 years)
- diabetes (0.6% of deaths for age 20-24 years)
- Other causes (14.4% of deaths for age 20-24 years)
Top ten causes of death for age 25-34 years in the USA 1999 [CDC NVSR 2001]:
- accidents (29.0% of deaths for age 25-34 years)
- suicide (12.4% of deaths for age 25-34 years)
- homicide (10.3% of deaths for age 25-34 years)
- cancer (9.8% of deaths for age 25-34 years)
- heart disease (7.5% of deaths for age 25-34 years)
- HIV (6.6% of deaths for age 25-34 years)
- diabetes (1.4% of deaths for age 25-34 years)
- cerebrovascular diseases including stroke (1.4% of deaths for age 25-34 years)
- congenital defects including chromosome conditions (1.1% of deaths for age 25-34 years)
- chronic liver disease and cirrhosis (1.0% of deaths for age 25-34 years)
- Other causes (19.5% of deaths for age 25-34 years)
Top ten causes of death for age 35-44 years in the USA 1999 [CDC NVSR 2001]:
- cancer (18.7% of deaths for age 35-44 years)
- accidents (17.1% of deaths for age 35-44 years)
- heart disease (15.2% of deaths for age 35-44 years)
- suicide (7.2% of deaths for age 35-44 years)
- HIV (7.0% of deaths for age 35-44 years)
- chronic liver disease and cirrhosis (3.7% of deaths for age 35-44 years)
- homicide (3.6% of deaths for age 35-44 years)
- cerebrovascular diseases including stroke (2.9% of deaths for age 35-44 years)
- diabetes (2.2% of deaths for age 35-44 years)
- influenza and pneumonia (1.2% of deaths for age 35-44 years)
- Other causes (21.2% of deaths for age 35-44 years)
Top ten causes of death for age 45-54 years in the USA 1999 [CDC NVSR 2001]:
- cancer (30.5% of deaths)
- heart disease (22.9% of deaths)
- accidents (7.6% of deaths)
- chronic liver disease and cirrhosis (4.2% of deaths)
- cerebrovascular diseases including stroke (3.6% of deaths)
- suicide (3.3% of deaths)
- diabetes (3.1% of deaths)
- HIV (2.6% of deaths)
- chronic lower respiratory diseases (2.0% of deaths)
- influenza and pneumonia (1.1% of deaths)
- Other causes (19.1% of deaths)
Top ten causes of death for age 55-64 years in the USA 1999 [CDC NVSR 2001]:
- cancer (37.3% of deaths)
- heart disease (26.9% of deaths)
- chronic lower respiratory diseases (4.7% of deaths)
- cerebrovascular diseases including stroke (4.0% of deaths)
- diabetes (3.8% of deaths)
- accidents (3.0% of deaths)
- chronic liver disease and cirrhosis (2.4% of deaths)
- suicide (1.2% of deaths)
- kidney diseases (1.2% of deaths)
- septicemia (1.1% of deaths)
- Other causes (14.4% of deaths)
Top ten causes of death for age 65 and over years in the USA 1999 [CDC NVSR 2001]:
- heart disease (33.8% of deaths for age 65 and over years)
- cancer (21.7% of deaths for age 65 and over years)
- cerebrovascular diseases including stroke (8.3% of deaths for age 65 and over years)
- chronic lower respiratory diseases (6.0% of deaths for age 65 and over years)
- influenza and pneumonia (3.2% of deaths for age 65 and over years)
- diabetes (2.9% of deaths for age 65 and over years)
- accidents (1.8% of deaths for age 65 and over years)
- kidney diseases (1.7% of deaths for age 65 and over years)
- septicemia (1.4% of deaths for age 65 and over years)
- Other causes (16.9% of deaths for age 65 and over years)
Top ten causes of death for age 65-74 years in the USA 1999 [CDC NVSR 2001]:
- cancer (33.7% of deaths for age 65-74 years)
- heart disease (28.6% of deaths for age 65-74 years)
- chronic lower respiratory diseases (7.2% of deaths for age 65-74 years)
- cerebrovascular diseases including stroke (5.3% of deaths for age 65-74 years)
- diabetes (3.7% of deaths for age 65-74 years)
- accidents (1.8% of deaths for age 65-74 years)
- influenza and pneumonia (1.5% of deaths for age 65-74 years)
- kidney diseases (1.5% of deaths for age 65-74 years)
- septicemia (1.3% of deaths for age 65-74 years)
- chronic liver disease and cirrhosis (1.2% of deaths for age 65-74 years)
- Other causes (14.2% of deaths for age 65-74 years)
Top ten causes of death for age 75-84 years in the USA 1999 [CDC NVSR 2001]:
- heart disease (32.4% of deaths for age 75-84 years)
- cancer (23.3% of deaths for age 75-84 years)
- cerebrovascular diseases including stroke (8.2% of deaths for age 75-84 years)
- chronic lower respiratory diseases (7.0% of deaths for age 75-84 years)
- diabetes (3.1% of deaths for age 75-84 years)
- influenza and pneumonia (2.7% of deaths for age 75-84 years)
- Alzheimer's (2.3% of deaths for age 75-84 years)
- accidents (1.8% of deaths for age 75-84 years)
- kidney diseases (1.7% of deaths for age 75-84 years)
- septicemia (1.4% of deaths for age 75-84 years)
- Other causes (16.2% of deaths for age 75-84 years)
Top ten causes of death for age 85 and over years in the USA 1999 [CDC NVSR 2001]:
- heart disease (39.0% of deaths for age 85 and over)
- cancer (11.6% of deaths for age 85 and over)
- cerebrovascular diseases including stroke (10.4% of deaths for age 85 and over)
- influenza and pneumonia (4.8% of deaths for age 85 and over)
- chronic lower respiratory diseases (4.2% of deaths for age 85 and over)
- Alzheimer's (3.9 for age 85 and over)
- diabetes (2.0% of deaths for age 85 and over)
- accidents (1.8% of deaths for age 85 and over)
- kidney diseases (1.7% of deaths for age 85 and over)
- septicemia (1.4% of deaths for age 85 and over)
- Other causes (19.2% of deaths for age 85 and over)

Related information on causes of Death:

As with all medical conditions, there may be many causal factors. Further relevant information on causes of Death may be found in:

» Next page: Risk Factors for Death

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