A review of the statistics from the Centers for Disease and Prevention, the World Health Organization, the American Heart Association, and the American Cancer Society ranks the following as the 10 leading causes of death among women in the United States:
Heart Disease
One quarter of all deaths among females is attributed to heart disease. The American Heart Association lists coronary artery disease, which leads to a heart attack, as the single leading cause of death for American women. Twice as many women die from heart attack, stroke, and other cardiovascular diseases than all forms of cancer, including breast cancer.
Cancer
The Centers of Disease and Prevention (CDC) statistics rank cancer as the second leading cause of death among American women. The American Cancer Society estimates 270,290 women will die from cancer this year. The three leading cancers that cause death for females include lung cancer, cancer of the digestive system and breast cancer.
Stroke
The CDC ranks stroke as the third leading cause of death for women. The American Heart Association estimated that annually, 55,000 more women than men have a stroke. In 2006, the stroke rate of mortality for females was 60.2 percent of all stroke deaths. The reason is the average life expectancy of women is greater than for men and the incidence of a stroke is higher among the oldest age groups.
COPD
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is the fourth leading cause of death among women in the U.S. COPD is a group of chronic lung diseases which include emphysema and chronic bronchitis. Long-term smoking, which is the most common cause of COPD, damages the airways and progressively interferes with the exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide in the lungs.
Alzheimer’s Disease
In the advanced stages of Alzheimer’s disease the degeneration of healthy brain tissue progresses and an individual is susceptible to pneumonia, infections, and injury from falls. Difficulty swallowing results in possible aspiration of food and fluids into the airways and lungs leading to pneumonia. Urinary incontinence requires the insertion of a catheter which increases the risk for developing urinary tract infections. Untreated urinary tract infections can lead to more serious, life-threatening infections. People with Alzheimer’s disease become disoriented and are at a high risk for falls. Falls can result in bone fractures or serious head injuries with bleeding in the brain.
Accidents
Fatal injuries sustained from accidents, such as motor vehicle collisions, are the sixth leading cause of death. Falls and accidental poisoning, such as carbon monoxide poisoning are potential fatal threats.
Type 2 Diabetes
The CDC estimates that diabetes is the seventh leading cause of death, accounting for 3 percent of all deaths among females. With type 2 diabetes, the body either does not produce enough insulin or the cells ignore the insulin. Insulin is necessary for the conversion of glucose to energy. The buildup of blood glucose levels leads to complications such as heart disease and nerve and kidney damage.
Influenza
Influenza is a common viral infection which is not life-threatening to healthy individuals. However, people with weak immune system or chronic illness are susceptible to complications of the flu which can be fatal. Complications caused by the flu include bacterial pneumonia, dehydration, and worsening of chronic medical illnesses such as congestive heart failure, asthma, and diabetes.
Kidney Failure
The CDC ranks kidney failure as the ninth leading cause of death among American females. Acute kidney failure is the sudden impairment of the kidneys to filtrate and eliminate excess fluids and electrolytes from the blood. Untreated, acute kidney failure is fatal. Chronic kidney failure is the gradual loss of kidney function. End-stage kidney failure is fatal if not treated with dialysis or a kidney transplant.
Septicemia
Septicemia is a serious, life-threatening infection marked by the presence of bacteria in the blood. The CDC ranks septicemia as the tenth leading cause of death among women. It begins with an infection throughout the body including the lungs, abdomen, and urinary tract. The infection progresses quickly leading to adult respiratory distress syndrome, septic shock, and death.