Burden of Disease Research Unit
| Frequently
asked questions |
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What
are the leading causes of death in older persons (60 years and older)?
According to the MRC's the Revised Burden of Disease estimates for the Comparative Risk Factor Assessment for South Africa, 2000 (pdf format 259 kb) the leading specific causes of death among older persons are ischaemic heart disease, stroke, hypertensive heart disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and diabetes mellitus. Ischaemic heart disease and stroke, combined, account for almost one-third of deaths. Table 1 shows the leading causes of death amoung people aged 60 years and older. These twenty causes were responsible for 82% of all deaths among older persons.
Table 1: Twenty leading specific causes of death in persons 60 years and older: South Africa, 2000
| Rank |
Cause of death |
Deaths |
% of total |
1 |
Ischaemic heart disease |
26575 |
16.5 |
2 |
Stroke |
24291 |
15.1 |
3 |
Hypertensive disease |
12400 |
7.7 |
4 |
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease |
9665 |
6.0 |
5 |
Diabetes mellitus |
8915 |
5.5 |
6 |
Lower respiratory infections |
8610 |
5.4 |
7 |
Tuberculosis |
6622 |
4.1 |
8 |
Trachea/bronchi/lung cancer |
4298 |
2.7 |
9 |
Nephritis/nephrosis |
4012 |
2.5 |
10 |
Asthma |
3808 |
2.4 |
11 |
Oesophageal cancer |
3139 |
2.0 |
12 |
Inflammatory heart disease |
2968 |
1.8 |
13 |
Septicaemia |
2429 |
1.5 |
14 |
Diarrhoeal diseases |
2357 |
1.5 |
15 |
Prostate cancer |
2348 |
1.5 |
16 |
Cirrhosis of liver |
2069 |
1.3 |
17 |
Colorectal cancer |
1886 |
1.2 |
18 |
Road traffic accidents |
1794 |
1.1 |
19 |
Breast cancer |
1660 |
1.0 |
20 |
Interpersonal violence |
1603 |
1.0 |
|
All causes among 60+ |
160639 |
|
The top 20 causes of death for older men and women are shown in Figures 1 and 2. Except for lower respiratory infections, the leading causes do not rank the same for older men and older women. Ischaemic heart disease and stroke are the first and second largest causes of death in older men, whereas these two causes, respectively, ranked second and first in older women.
Cancers are responsible for large numbers of deaths among older men and women. As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the ranking for specific cancers differ between men and women. In men, lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths, followed by prostate cancer, oesophageal cancer, stomach cancer, liver cancer and colo-rectal cancer. In women, breast cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths, followed by lung cancer, cervix cancer, oesophageal cancer, colo-rectal cancer and other malignant cancers (lung cancer includes cancer of the trachea and bronchi).
Table
2: Twenty leading specific causes of death in persons 60 years and older:
South Africa, 2000 (Initial Burden of Disease Study)
The
top 20 causes of death for older men and women are shown in Figures 1 and
2. Except for lower respiratory infections, the leading causes do not rank
the same for older men and older women. Ischaemic heart disease and stroke
are the first and second largest causes of death in older men, whereas these
two causes, respectively, ranked second and first in older women.
Cancers are responsible
for large numbers of deaths among older men and women. As shown in Figures
1 and 2, the ranking for specific cancers differ between men and women. In
men, lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths, followed by prostate
cancer, oesophageal cancer, stomach cancer, liver cancer and colo-rectal cancer.
In women, breast cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths, followed by
lung cancer, cervix cancer, oesophageal cancer, colo-rectal cancer and other
malignant cancers (lung cancer includes cancer of the trachea and bronchi).
Authors: Dr Rosana Norman, Prof Debbie Bradshaw, Michelle Schneider, Desiree Pieterse and Dr Pam Groenewald |
