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 Men's Health

Leading Causes of Death in Males
United States, 2001

Pictures of males at different life stages

Below are the leading causes of death in males for 2001.

All Males, All Ages Percent*
1) Heart Disease 28.7
2) Cancer 24.3
3) Unintentional injuries 5.6
4) Stroke 5.3
5) Chronic lower respiratory diseases 5.0
6) Diabetes 2.8
7) Influenza and pneumonia 2.3
8) Suicide 2.1
9) Kidney disease 1.6
10) Chronic liver disease 1.5

 

White Males, All Ages Percent*
1) Heart Disease 29.2
2) Cancer 24.5
3) Unintentional injuries 5.5
4) Chronic lower respiratory diseases 5.4
5) Stroke 5.3
6) Diabetes 2.7
7) Influenza and pneumonia 2.3
8) Suicide 2.2
9) Kidney disease 1.5
10) Chronic liver disease 1.5

 

Black Males, All Ages Percent*
1) Heart Disease 25.4
2) Cancer 22.4
3) Unintentional injuries 5.9
4) Stroke 5.4
5) Homicide 4.6
6) HIV disease 3.7
7) Diabetes 3.5
8) Chronic lower respiratory diseases 2.9
9) Kidney disease 2.2
10) Influenza and pneumonia 1.9

 

American Indian or Alaska Native Males, All Ages Percent*
1) Heart Disease 21.0
2) Cancer 17.1
3) Unintentional injuries 14.0
4) Chronic liver disease 4.8
5) Diabetes 4.3
6) Suicide 4.0
7) Stroke 3.4
8) Chronic lower respiratory diseases 3.1
9) Influenza and pneumonia 2.5
10) Homicide 2.3

 

Asian or Pacific Islander Males, All Ages Percent*
1) Heart Disease 26.0
2) Cancer 26.0
3) Stroke 8.2
4) Unintentional injuries 5.7
5) Chronic lower respiratory diseases 3.8
6) Influenza and pneumonia 3.2
7) Diabetes 3.0
8) Suicide 2.3
9) Homicide 1.9
10) Kidney disease 1.6

 

Hispanic Males, All Ages Percent*
1) Heart Disease 22.4
2) Cancer 18.7
3) Unintentional injuries 11.3
4) Stroke 4.7
5) Homicide 4.4
6) Diabetes 4.1
7) Chronic liver disease 3.8
8) Suicide 2.5
9) Chronic lower respiratory diseases 2.3
10) HIV disease 2.3

*Percent of total deaths in the race category due to the disease indicated.

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
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
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.
Medical & surgical care complications Complications of medical and surgical care
Perinatal conditions Certain conditions originating 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: worked Health Organization, 1992. Available at http://www.who.int/classifications/icd/en/. Accessed April 15, 2010.

 

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Content Source: CDC Office of Women's Health
Page last modified: April 15, 2010
Page last reviewed: April 15, 2010