Leading Causes of Early Death in U.S. 1990-2010

The manuscript in this post is two years old but I thought it was worthy of comment.

The Global Burden of Disease study seeks to provide an estimate of the relative contribution of a variety of medical disorders on disability and death.

I have summarized data with an original chart with data abstracted on the leading causes of early death in the U.S. This is provided by the chart in numbers (x1000). The most recent estimate rates heart disease as the continuing cause of years of life lost (2010 estimate 7164 x 1000=7,164,000 years of life lost for the U.S. population).

The changes over the two decades are worthy of note. Two brain disorder categories, death due to self-harm (suicide) and Alzheimer's have increased over this 20 year period with the relative increase most remarkable for Alzheimer's. Heart disease and road deaths have been dramatically reduced.

Readers with more interest in this topic can access the free full text manuscript by clicking on the PMID link below.

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Murray CJ, Atkinson C, Bhalla K, Birbeck G, Burstein R, Chou D, Dellavalle R, Danaei G, Ezzati M, Fahimi A, Flaxman D, Foreman, Gabriel S, Gakidou E, Kassebaum N, Khatibzadeh S, Lim S, Lipshultz SE, London S, Lopez, MacIntyre MF, Mokdad AH, Moran A, Moran AE, Mozaffarian D, Murphy T, Naghavi M, Pope C, Roberts T, Salomon J, Schwebel DC, Shahraz S, Sleet DA, Murray, Abraham J, Ali MK, Atkinson C, Bartels DH, Bhalla K, Birbeck G, Burstein R, Chen H, Criqui MH, Dahodwala, Jarlais, Ding EL, Dorsey ER, Ebel BE, Ezzati M, Fahami, Flaxman S, Flaxman AD, Gonzalez-Medina D, Grant B, Hagan H, Hoffman H, Kassebaum N, Khatibzadeh S, Leasher JL, Lin J, Lipshultz SE, Lozano R, Lu Y, Mallinger L, McDermott MM, Micha R, Miller TR, Mokdad AA, Mokdad AH, Mozaffarian D, Naghavi M, Narayan KM, Omer SB, Pelizzari PM, Phillips D, Ranganathan D, Rivara FP, Roberts T, Sampson U, Sanman E, Sapkota A, Schwebel DC, Sharaz S, Shivakoti R, Singh GM, Singh D, Tavakkoli M, Towbin JA, Wilkinson JD, Zabetian A, Murray, Abraham J, Ali MK, Alvardo M, Atkinson C, Baddour LM, Benjamin EJ, Bhalla K, Birbeck G, Bolliger I, Burstein R, Carnahan E, Chou D, Chugh SS, Cohen A, Colson KE, Cooper LT, Couser W, Criqui MH, Dabhadkar KC, Dellavalle RP, Jarlais, Dicker D, Dorsey ER, Duber H, Ebel BE, Engell RE, Ezzati M, Felson DT, Finucane MM, Flaxman S, Flaxman AD, Fleming T, Foreman, Forouzanfar MH, Freedman G, Freeman MK, Gakidou E, Gillum RF, Gonzalez-Medina D, Gosselin R, Gutierrez HR, Hagan H, Havmoeller R, Hoffman H, Jacobsen KH, James SL, Jasrasaria R, Jayarman S, Johns N, Kassebaum N, Khatibzadeh S, Lan Q, Leasher JL, Lim S, Lipshultz SE, London S, Lopez, Lozano R, Lu Y, Mallinger L, Meltzer M, Mensah GA, Michaud C, Miller TR, Mock C, Moffitt TE, Mokdad AA, Mokdad AH, Moran A, Naghavi M, Narayan KM, Nelson RG, Olives C, Omer SB, Ortblad K, Ostro B, Pelizzari PM, Phillips D, Raju M, Razavi H, Ritz B, Roberts T, Sacco RL, Salomon J, Sampson U, Schwebel DC, Shahraz S, Shibuya K, Silberberg D, Singh JA, Steenland K, Taylor JA, Thurston GD, Vavilala MS, Vos T, Wagner GR, Weinstock MA, Weisskopf MG, Wulf S, Murray, & U.S. Burden of Disease Collaborators (2013). The state of US health, 1990-2010: burden of diseases, injuries, and risk factors. JAMA, 310 (6), 591-608 PMID: 23842577