Heart disease, cancer remain leading causes of death in US

Heart disease, cancer remain leading causes of death in US 
Becker's Hospital Review; by Elizabeth Gregerson; 8/9/24 
Heart disease and cancer remained the leading causes of death in 2023, according to provisional data released Aug. 8 by the CDC. Mortality data is collected by the National Center for Health Statistics National Vital Statistics System from U.S. death certificates, according to an analysis published Aug. 8 in JAMA. After a sharp increase in the rate of deaths from heart disease during the pandemic, the 2023 rate (162.1) reportedly was closer to pre-pandemic levels (161.5). The rate of deaths from cancer decreased from 146.2 in 2019 to 141.8 in 2023. Cause of death data is based on the underlying cause of events leading to death. Death rate is recorded as the age adjusted death rate per 100,000 deaths, authors of the JAMA analysis said.
Editor's Note: For a more data-oriented article that identifies additional causes of death, click here for JAMA Network's "Leading Causes of Death in the US, 2019-2023."