In MMWR 1982;31:109-10, Table V was introduced to reflect CDC's
increased responsibility for promoting actions that reduce
premature
mortality. For 1980, causes of death were listed in a column in
decreasing order of the years of potential life lost to age 65. In
this issue, the order has been changed to reflect data for 1981.
From 1980 to 1981, the years of potential life lost for persons
between ages 1 and 65 years decreased 1.3%. A 3.6% decrease in
years
of potential life lost in motor vehicle and other accidents
accounted
for a large proportion of the overall decrease; however, accidents
remain the leading cause of premature loss of life. Although the
number of deaths from suicide and homicide decreased 1.3%, the
number
of years of potential life lost from these causes increased
slightly,
0.1%, a shift that may be attributed to a 5.9% increase in the
number
of suicides of persons 1-34 years old. Suicide, homicide, and
accidents caused 40.4% of the total years of potential life lost in
1981.
Generally, the column for years of potential life lost in 1981
reflects relatively little change from that in 1980.
Cerebrovascular
diseases have replaced chronic liver disease and cirrhosis as the
fourth leading cause, although both causes demonstrated a slight
decrease in years of potential life lost. Chronic obstructive
pulmonary diseases and allied conditions replaced diabetes mellitus
as
the eighth leading cause. Although the contribution of these
pulmonary diseases to all causes of death in 1981 increased only
from
1.1% to 1.2%, they caused a 5.2% increase in the number of years of
potential life lost. The number of deaths attributed to chronic
obstructive pulmonary diseases and allied conditions increased
22.8%
for persons between the ages of 1 and 44 years.
Reported by Div of Surveillance and Epidemiologic Studies,
Epidemiology Program Office, CDC.
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