Leading Causes of Death for 76-Year-Olds
- Updated: March 13, 2023
As you age, your risk of developing chronic conditions and illnesses become higher, and your chance of dying increases as well. If you're 76 years old or know someone who is, it's essential to know the leading causes of death for this age group. Understanding these causes can help you take necessary steps to prevent them and strive to live a healthier and longer life. In this article, we'll discuss the top contributors to death for 76-year-olds and what you can do to reduce the risk of falling victim to them.
(Note: See here for 75-year-old causes of death or here for the most common causes of death for 77-year-olds.)
Table of Contents
Leading Causes of Death for 76-Year-Olds (2021 CDC Data)
Cause of Death | Total Deaths |
---|---|
Heart Disease | 20,246 |
Cancer | 16,967 |
COVID-19 | 10,038 |
Chronic Lower Respiratory Disease | 4,458 |
Diabetes | 2,718 |
Alzheimer's Disease | 2,165 |
Accidents (Incl. Overdoses) | 1,897 |
Kidney Disease | 1,391 |
Parkinson's Disease | 1,283 |
Septicemia | 1,075 |
Flu (Non-COVID) | 998 |
Liver Disease (incl. Cirrhosis) | 755 |
Pneumonitis Due To Solids & Liquids | 424 |
Suicide | 397 |
Nutritional Deficiency | 333 |
Gallbladder Disorder | 126 |
Anemias | 108 |
Enterocolitis | 105 |
Peptic Ulcer | 80 |
Homicide | 37 |
Viral Hepatitis | 34 |
Hernia | 32 |
According to the 2021 CDC data, heart disease and cancer are the leading causes of death for 76-year-olds in the United States. Heart disease alone is responsible for roughly 20,000 deaths, while cancer is not far behind at 16,967 deaths.
Surprisingly, COVID-19 is the third highest cause of mortality for this age group, accounting for over 10,000 deaths in 2021. Chronic lower respiratory disease, diabetes, and Alzheimer’s disease are also among the top causes of death.
Accidents, including overdoses, are responsible for just under 2,000 deaths, followed by kidney disease, Parkinson’s disease, and septicemia.
The data also reveals that suicide and nutritional deficiency are relatively low-causality factors. Homicide and viral hepatitis are also notably low.
It’s important to note that the data is from 2021 and may be subject to change in future years. Overall, this information can provide important insights for healthcare professionals and policymakers looking to improve public health programs and policies.
Top Causes of Death for Age 76 Men
Cause of Death | Total Deaths |
---|---|
Heart Disease | 11,452 |
Cancer | 9,111 |
COVID-19 | 5,761 |
Chronic Lower Respiratory Disease | 2,179 |
Diabetes | 1,524 |
Accidents (Incl. Overdoses) | 1,140 |
Parkinson's Disease | 859 |
Alzheimer's Disease | 802 |
Kidney Disease | 754 |
Flu (Non-COVID) | 545 |
Septicemia | 537 |
Liver Disease (incl. Cirrhosis) | 424 |
Suicide | 339 |
Pneumonitis Due To Solids & Liquids | 247 |
Nutritional Deficiency | 143 |
Gallbladder Disorder | 77 |
Anemias | 55 |
Enterocolitis | 52 |
Peptic Ulcer | 38 |
Homicide | 37 |
Viral Hepatitis | 34 |
For 76-year-old men, heart disease is the leading cause of death, accounting for just over 11,000 fatalities, followed by cancer at approximately 9,000 deaths. COVID-19 ranks third, causing around 5,761 deaths. Chronic lower respiratory disease, diabetes, and accidents, including overdoses, are also among the chief causes of death.
Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease, kidney disease, and flu make up the remainder of the top ten leading causes of mortality. Septicemia, liver disease, and suicide are behind them. Pneumonitis due to solids and liquids, nutritional deficiency, gallbladder disorder, and anemias are notably less frequent in terms of causes of death for this age group.
Overall, the data reveals that heart disease, cancer, and COVID-19 are the most common causes of death in 76-year-old men. The table also indicates that seniors have higher rates of chronic diseases and that COVID-19 is a significant cause of death.
Common Causes of Death for 76-Year-Old Women
Cause of Death | Total Deaths |
---|---|
Heart Disease | 8,794 |
Cancer | 7,856 |
COVID-19 | 4,277 |
Chronic Lower Respiratory Disease | 2,279 |
Alzheimer's Disease | 1,363 |
Diabetes | 1,194 |
Accidents (Incl. Overdoses) | 757 |
Kidney Disease | 637 |
Septicemia | 538 |
Flu (Non-COVID) | 453 |
Parkinson's Disease | 424 |
Liver Disease (incl. Cirrhosis) | 331 |
Nutritional Deficiency | 190 |
Pneumonitis Due To Solids & Liquids | 177 |
Suicide | 58 |
Anemias | 53 |
Enterocolitis | 53 |
Gallbladder Disorder | 49 |
Peptic Ulcer | 42 |
Hernia | 32 |
Looking at the mortality data for 76-year-old women provided by the CDC, we can observe that the leading causes of death are quite similar to the overall data. Heart disease is still the most common cause of mortality, with over 8,000 deaths, followed closely by cancer at nearly 7,900 deaths.
COVID-19, while still a significant cause of death, is third on the list, with roughly 4,300 deaths. After COVID-19, chronic lower respiratory disease and Alzheimer’s disease round out the top five causes of death, with over 2,200 and 1,300 deaths, respectively.
Accidents, including overdoses, are responsible for nearly 800 deaths, whereas fatal cases of diabetes account for just over 1,100. Kidney disease and septicemia are also common among 76-year-old women, each accounting for over 500 deaths.
In addition, Parkinson’s disease, liver disease, and nutritional deficiency are also commonly seen among this demographic. Suicide, anemias, enterocolitis, and gallbladder disorder are comparatively less common causes of mortality.
Overall, this information can provide important insights for clinicians and policymakers looking to develop effective strategies to address the leading causes of death among this population.
Rikin Shah
Burial Insurance
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