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Health Equity

Leading Causes of Death in Females, 2014 (current listing)

Leading Causes of Death (LCOD) by Race/Ethnicity, All Females-United States, 2014*

Rank All Races Hispanic White Black American Indian/ Alaska Native Asian/Pacific Islander
1 Heart disease 22.3% Cancer 22.6% Heart disease 22.3% Heart disease 23.2% Cancer 17.4% Cancer 27.3%
2 Cancer 21.6% Heart disease 19.7% Cancer 21.4% Cancer 22.5% Heart disease 16.8% Heart disease 20.0%
3 Chronic lower respiratory diseases 6.0% Stroke 6.0% Chronic lower respiratory diseases 6.5% Stroke 6.2% Unintentional injuries 8.1% Stroke 8.1%
4 Stroke 6.0% Diabetes 4.7% Stroke 5.9% Diabetes 4.6% Chronic liver disease 5.7% Alzheimer’s disease 3.9%
5 Alzheimer’s disease 5.0% Unintentional injuries 4.5% Alzheimer’s disease 5.3% Chronic lower respiratory diseases 3.2% Diabetes 5.4% Diabetes 3.8%
6 Unintentional injuries 3.9% Alzheimer’s disease 4.3% Unintentional injuries 4.0% Alzheimer’s disease 3.1% Chronic lower respiratory diseases 5.2% Unintentional injuries 3.3%
7 Diabetes 2.7% Chronic lower respiratory diseases 3.1% Diabetes 2.4% Unintentional injuries 3.0% Stroke 4.3% Influenza & pneumonia 3.0%
8 Influenza & pneumonia 2.2% Influenza & pneumonia 2.5% Influenza & pneumonia 2.2% Kidney disease 3.0% Alzheimer’s disease 2.7% Chronic lower respiratory diseases 2.6%
9 Kidney disease 1.8% Chronic liver disease 2.3% Kidney disease 1.7% Septicemia 2.3% Influenza & pneumonia 2.7% Kidney disease 2.0%
10 Septicemia 1.6% Kidney disease 2.0% Septicemia 1.5% Hypertension 1.9% Kidney disease 2.1% Hypertension 1.9%

*Percentages represent total deaths in the age group due to the cause indicated. Rankings are based on number of deaths. Numbers in parentheses indicate tied rankings. The white, black, American Indian/Alaska Native, and Asian/Pacific Islander race groups include persons of Hispanic and non-Hispanic origin. Persons of Hispanic origin may be of any race. Some terms have been shortened from those used in the National Vital Statistics Report. See the next page for a listing of the shortened terms in the table and their full unabridged equivalents used in the report. To learn more, visit Mortality Tables or Mortality Data (HHS, CDC, NCHS).

Short and Full Terms

Some terms in the leading causes of death tables have been shortened from those used in the National Vital Statistics Report. Below is a listing of the shortened terms used in the tables and their full, unabridged equivalents used in the report.

Short Terms Full Terms
Aortic aneurism Aortic aneurism and dissection
Appendix disease Diseases of appendix
Benign neoplasms In situ neoplasms and neoplasms of uncertain or unknown behavior
Birth defects Congenital malformations, deformations and chromosomal abnormalities
Bronchitis Acute bronchitis and bronchiolitis
Cancer Malignant neoplasms
C. difficile infection Entercolitis due to clostridium
Chronic liver disease Chronic liver disease and cirrhosis
Chronic lower respiratory diseases Includes bronchitis, emphysema, asthma, bronchiectasis, and other chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
Diabetes Diabetes mellitus
Gallbladder disorders Cholethiasis and other disorders of gallbladder
Heart disease Diseases of the heart
HIV disease Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) disease
Homicide Assault (homicide)
Hypertension Essential (primary) hypertension and hypertensive renal disease
Kidney disease Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis
Kidney infection Infections of kidney
Legal intervention* Physical or other force used by police or other law-enforcing agents, including military on duty, in the course of arresting or attempting to arrest lawbreakers, suppressing disturbances, maintaining order, and other legal action. Includes legal execution and excludes citizen arrest.
Pelvic Inflammatory diseases Inflammatory diseases of female pelvic organs
Perinatal conditions Certain conditions orginating in the perinatal period
Pneumonitis Pneumonitis due to solids and liquids
Pregnancy complications Pregnancy, childbirth and the peurperium
Stroke Cerebrovascular diseases
Suicide Intentional self-harm
Unintentional injuries Accidents (unintentional injuries)

*World Health Organization. International statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems, Tenth Revision (ICD-10). Geneva: World Health Organization, 1992. Available at http://www.who.int/classifications/icd/en/. Accessed April 15, 2010.

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