Risks wax and wane across the life cycle. Here are the 10 leading causes of death by age group in the United States based on 2004 data, the most recent available:
Ages 1-4
1. Unintentional injury
2. Birth defects
3. Cancer
4. Homicide
5. Heart disease
6. Influenza, pneumonia
7. Septic infections
8. Perinatal period
9. Non-cancerous tumors
10. Respiratory disease
Ages 5-9
1. Unintentional injury
2. Cancer
3. Birth defects
4. Homicide
5. Heart disease
6. Respiratory disease
7. Non-cancerous tumors
8. Septic infections
9. Aneurysms, strokes
10. Influenza, pneumonia
Ages 10-14
1. Unintentional injury
2. Cancer
3. Suicide
4. Homicide
5. Birth defects
6. Heart disease
7. Respiratory disease
8. Influenza, pneumonia
9. Non-cancerous tumors
10. Aneurysms, strokes
Ages 15-24
1. Unintentional injury
2. Homicide
3. Suicide
4. Cancer
5. Heart disease
6. Birth defects
7. Aneurysms, strokes
8. HIV/AIDS
9. Influenza, pneumonia
10. Respiratory disease
Ages 25-34
1. Unintentional injury
2. Suicide
3. Homicide
4. Cancer
5. Heart disease
6. HIV/AIDS
7. Diabetes
8. Aneurysms, strokes
9. Birth defects
10. Septic infections
Ages 35-44
1. Unintentional injury
2. Cancer
3. Heart disease
4. Suicide
5. HIV/AIDS
6. Homicide
7. Liver disease
8. Aneurysms, strokes
9. Diabetes
10. Influenza, pneumonia
Ages 45-54
1. Cancer
2. Heart disease
3. Unintentional injury
4. Liver disease
5. Suicide
6. Aneurysms, strokes
7. Diabetes
8. HIV/AIDS
9. Respiratory disease
10. Septic infections
Ages 55-64
1. Cancer
2. Heart disease
3. Respiratory disease
4. Diabetes
5. Aneurysms, strokes
6. Unintentional injury
7. Liver disease
8. Suicide
9. Kidney disease
10. Septic infections
Ages 65 and up
1. Heart disease
2. Cancer
3. Aneurysms, strokes
4. Respiratory disease
5. Alzheimer’s disease
6. Diabetes
7. Influenza, pneumonia
8. Kidney disease
9. Unintentional injury
10. Septic infections
Sources: National Vital Statistics System; National Center for Health Statistics; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
