10 Leading Causes of Death in the U.S., 2003
Updated February 21, 2017 | Factmonster Staff 
Leading causes of death differ somewhat by age, sex, and race. In 2003, as in previous years, accidents were the leading cause of death for those under 34 years, while in older age groups, chronic diseases such as cancer and heart disease were the leading causes. The top two causes for males and females—heart disease and cancer—are exactly the same. However, suicide ranked 8th for males but was not ranked among the ten leading causes for females.
| Rank1 | Causes of death | All persons | Causes of death | Male | Causes of death | Female |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| All causes | 2,448,288 | All causes | 1,201,964 | All causes | 1,246,324 | |
| 1. | Diseases of heart | 685,089 | Diseases of heart | 336,095 | Diseases of heart | 348,994 |
| 2. | Malignant neoplasms (cancer) | 556,902 | Malignant neoplasms (cancer) | 287,990 | Malignant neoplasms (cancer) | 268,912 |
| 3. | Cerebrovascular diseases | 157,689 | Unintentional injuries | 70,532 | Cerebrovascular diseases | 96,263 |
| 4. | Chronic lower respiratory diseases | 126,382 | Cerebrovascular diseases | 61,426 | Chronic lower respiratory diseases | 65,668 |
| 5. | Unintentional injuries | 109,277 | Chronic lower respiratory diseases | 60,714 | Alzheimer's disease | 45,122 |
| 6. | Diabetes mellitus | 74,219 | Diabetes mellitus | 35,438 | Diabetes mellitus | 38,781 |
| 7. | Influenza and pneumonia | 65,163 | Influenza and pneumonia | 28,778 | Unintentional injuries | 38,745 |
| 8. | Alzheimer's disease | 63,457 | Suicide | 25,203 | Influenza and pneumonia | 36,385 |
| 9. | Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome, and nephrosis | 42,453 | Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome, and nephrosis | 20,481 | Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome, and nephrosis | 21,972 |
| 10. | Septicemia | 34,069 | Alzheimer's disease | 18,335 | Septicemia | 19,082 |
Source: U.S. National Center for Health Statistics, Health, United States, 2005.
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