Top 15 Causes of Death in the US: How Will You Die?

Homicide Not in Top 15 Causes of Death

Spike TV says that there are a thousand ways to die, but a new CDC report lists the top 15.

For the first time since 1965, homicide is not in the top 15 causes of death in the United States. In the early 1990's, murder was the 10th most common way to die in the US, and then it dropped out of fashion, as it were. Homicide reached the 13th spot in 2001, due to 9/11.

The good news: chances are that nobody is going to murder you. The bad news: you're more likely to die from the flu or Parkinson's than you probably thought. Also, look both ways before crossing the street and be careful when painting the ceiling, because accidents are the fifth biggest killers in America.

Top 15 Causes of Death (2010):

1. Diseases of heart
2. Malignant neoplasms (i.e. cancer)
   
3. Chronic lower respiratory diseases
4. Cerebrovascular diseases
5. Accidents (unintentional injuries)
6. Alzheimer’s disease
7. Diabetes mellitus
8. Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis (i.e. kidney disease)
   
9. Influenza and pneumonia
10. Intentional self-harm (suicide)
11. Septicemia
12. Chronic liver disease and cirrhosis
13. Essential hypertension and hypertensive renal disease
14. Parkinson’s disease
15. Pneumonitis (lung tissue inflammation or damage) due to solids and liquids
    

Heart disease and cancer (#1 and #2) account for half of all US deaths in 2010. As people get older, they may develop more than one of the conditions listed above: treatment advances mean that, for example, Parkinson's becomes more manageable, but heart disease ends up being fatal.

Read the full CDC report here:

• 15 Leading Causes of Death in the United States: 2010 (pdf)