Leading causes of death may differ from state to state, region to region, and country to country. They may also change over longer spans of time. But it is interesting to note that the leading causes of death in Indiana tend to closely mirror that of the leading causes of death in the United States overall. Let’s take a closer look at the top 10 causes of death here and throughout America:
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), for 2015 (the most recent reporting year available as of this posting) here are the top ten causes of death in Indiana:
- Heart Disease, which accounts for nearly a quarter of all deaths nationally
- Cancer, which runs a close second to heart disease as a leading cause of death
- Chronic Lower Respiratory Disease, including COPD
- Accidents of all kinds, including vehicle fatalities
- Stroke, which accounts for 1 in 20 deaths nationally
- Alzheimer’s Disease, which is new enough as a diagnosed cause of death that it is relatively new to the list, even though it has surely existed as a disease for generations
- Diabetes, which accounts for around 3 percent of deaths nationally
- Kidney Disease, which causes approximately 2 percent of deaths nationally
- Septicemia, or blood poisoning
- Flu and Pneumonia
Where Does Indiana Differ from the Leading Causes of Death in the U.S.? Nationally, the top 7 death causes match those in Indiana in the same order. According to Medical News Today, “the top three of these [account] for over 50 percent of all deaths.”
Flu and pneumonia rank at number 8 nationally as opposed to number 10 in Indiana. Kidney disease, number 8 in Indiana, is ranked 9th nationally. Blood poisoning, which is the 9th leading cause of death in Indiana, does not rank in the overall U.S. top 10. Ranking at number 10 nationally, however, is suicide.
Because official reporting numbers take a few years to be made public, it is too early to tell if the Opioid crisis will impact these rankings in Indiana or nationally, although opioid overdoses have recently contributed to lower life expectancy.
At Stillinger Family Funeral Home in Greenfield, Indiana, we handle each deceased individual in our care with dignity, reverence and professionalism. We know that, regardless of the manner of death, it is the life of the departed that mattered most; and we are here to help grieving family and friends pay tribute to their loved one. To learn more, contact us at (317) 462-5536.
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