Leading Causes of Death* by Age, Massachusetts 2001
Age Groups (number of deaths)
Rank <1 year 1-14 years 15-24 years 25-44 years 45-64 years 65-74 years 75-84 years 85+ years All
Unintentional Unintentional
Short gestation Cancer Cancer Heart Disease Heart Disease Heart Disease
1 Injuries Injuries Cancer (3,113)
(92) (450) (3,399) (4,789) (6,069) (15,136)
(41) (164)
Congenital Cancer Injuries of Injuries of
Heart Disease Heart Disease Cancer Cancer
2 malformations (28) Undetermined Undetermined Cancer (13,745)
(1,658) (2,276) (4,426) (2,302)
(62) Intent (57) Intent (371)
Congenital Homicide Chronic Lower Chronic Lower
Heart Disease Stroke Stroke Stroke
3 SIDS (24) malformations (53) Respiratory Respiratory
(317) (1,200) (1,602) (3,534)
(9) Disease (268) Disease (602)
Maternal Unintentional Chronic Lower Influenza & Chronic Lower
Signs and Suicide Chronic Liver
4 Pregnancy Injuries Stroke (441) Respiratory Pneumonia Respiratory
symptoms (8) (52) Disease (250)
Comp. (23) (286) Disease (1,082) (954) Disease (2,806)
Respiratory Influenza & Influenza &
Heart Disease Suicide Stroke Alzheimer’s
5 Distress Cancer (26) Diabetes (289) Pneumonia Pneumonia
(7) (171) (239) Disease (931)
(19) (538) (1,769)
Complicationsof Unintentional Chronic Lower
placenta, Heart Disease HIV/AIDS Alzheimer’s Alzheimer’s
6 cord/membranes
Pneumonitis (6) Injuries Nephritis (206) Respiratory
(10) (136) Disease (486) Disease (1,532)
(18) (233) Disease (822)
Unintentional
Bacterial Homicide Signs and Chronic Liver Septicemia Diabetes Nephritis
7 Diabetes (231) Injuries
sepsis (13) (6) symptoms (9) Disease (76) (169) (484) (448)
(1,496)
Chronic Lower Injuries of Influenza &
Circulatory Signs and Nephritis Diabetes Diabetes
8 Respiratory Septicemia (4) Undetermined Pneumonia
system (10) symptoms (63) (428) (368) (1,422)
Disease (4) Intent (155) (155)
Neonatal Congenital Unintentional Unintentional
9 Suicide Homicide Septicemia Septicemia Nephritis
hemorrhage malformations Injuries Injuries
(4) (63) (147) (332) (1,206)
(9) (4) (136) (341)
Unintentional
Intrauterine Other Diabetes Suicide Chronic Liver Pneumonitis Septicemia
10 Stroke (3) Injuries
Hypoxia (8) infections (3) (50) (133) Disease (114) (329) (954)
(290)
All
407 169 444 2,571 8,004 9,323 17,416 18,395 56,733
Causes
Source: Registry of Vital Records and Statistics, MA Department of Public Health; prepared by the Research & Epidemiology Program, MA Dept. of Public Health
* Ranking is based on number of deaths (in parenthesis).
Injury categories include unintentional, homicide, suicide and injuries of undetermined intent (i.e., deaths where investigation has not determined whether injuries were unintentional or purposely inflicted).