Deaths: Leading Causes for 2015.
Level 4 - case-series / case-control
Cross-sectional national vital statistics registry analysis (graded by design analogy)
What was done
The National Center for Health Statistics analyzed final 2015 mortality data using all death certificates filed across the 50 US states and the District of Columbia. Causes of death were classified according to ICD-10 and ranked by the number of deaths assigned to rankable causes based on the underlying cause of death, stratified by age, sex, race, Hispanic origin, and infant developmental periods (neonatal and postneonatal).
What was found
The 10 leading causes of death in the US in 2015 in rank order were: diseases of heart; malignant neoplasms; chronic lower respiratory diseases; accidents (unintentional injuries); cerebrovascular diseases; Alzheimer's disease; diabetes mellitus; influenza and pneumonia; nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis; and intentional self-harm (suicide). Together, they accounted for 74% of all US deaths. The leading causes of infant death were led by congenital malformations/chromosomal abnormalities, disorders related to short gestation/low birth weight, and sudden infant death syndrome. Specific ranking variations were observed across demographic subgroups.
Why it matters
This report establishes the official national epidemiological benchmark for US mortality in 2015, defining the primary population-level causes of death.
Limits
The abstract provides rank orderings and one aggregate proportion (74%) but omits absolute counts, rates, and detailed subgroup metrics. Findings rely on death certificate underlying-cause-of-death reporting, which can have classification and reporting inaccuracies.
Cited by
- context Respiratory disease is the fifth leading cause of death in the United States.