Leading Causes of Deaths

Leading Causes

Overall

The leading causes of death groupings used in this page is based on the work of Roberto Becker (et al)¹ with modifications discussed and approved by the Leading Cause Group subcommittee of the Core Indicators Working Group, Association of Public Health Epidemiologist in Ontario (APHEO).

Over the six years between 2000 and 2005, there were 21,079 deaths among residents of Simcoe Muskoka. The number one cause of death in Simcoe Muskoka during that time period was ischaemic heart disease (IHD), which was listed as the primary cause for 4,022 deaths and accounted for 19% of all deaths. IHD was responsible for more the twice the number of deaths than any other cause between 2000 and 2005 in Simcoe Muskoka. Other leading causes of death included cancer of lungs and bronchus, cerebrovascular diseases, chronic lower respiratory diseases, dementia and Alzheimer disease, female breast cancer, diabetes, cancer of the colon rectum and anus, male prostate cancer, lymph and blood related cancers and influenza and pneumonia.

The leading causes of death for Ontario as a whole over this same time period were quite similar to what was observed in Simcoe Muskoka as depicted in figure one below.

In Simcoe Muskoka between 2000 and 2005, the leading cause of death for both males and females was ischaemic heart disease (IHD). However, the proportion of deaths due to IHD was slightly higher for males (21 per cent) compared with females (17 per cent). The second leading cause of death in males for the same time period was cancer of the lung and bronchus, accounting for nearly 9 per cent of all deaths. The second leading cause of death among women for this time period was cerebrovascular diseases, which accounted for 8 per cent of deaths. Cancer of the lung and bronchus and cerebrovascular diseases were the third leading cause of death for women and men respectively. Dementia and Alzheimer disease was the fourth leading cause of death among females, but the ninth leading cause of death among males. Other leading causes of death among females include: breast cancer, chronic lower respiratory diseases, diabetes and cancer of the colon rectum and anus. Other leading causes of death for males also include chronic lower respiratory diseases, diabetes and cancer of the colon rectum and anus. Prostate cancer was the seventh leading cause of death among males. Figure two compares the leading causes of deaths for males and females in Simcoe Muskoka between 2000 and 2005.

In Simcoe Muskoka between 2000 and 2005, there were 115 deaths among infants less than one year of age. The leading causes of death among infants less than one year were congenital anomalies, which accounted for more than three-quarters of all deaths. During the same six year time interval there were 138 deaths among Simcoe Muskoka children between the ages of one and nineteen. The leading cause of deaths among these children was transport accidents , which were responsible for nearly 40 per cent of all deaths in this age group. Transport accidents and suicides were the leading cause of death among young adults (20 to 44 years of age), which accounted for 13 per cent and 12 per cent of the 814 deaths in this age group. The leading causes of death among older adults (45 to 74 years of age) were ischaemic heart disease (IHD) and cancer of the lung and bronchus, which respectively accounted for 17 per cent and 14 per cent of the 7,443 deaths that occurred in this age group over the six year interval. Seniors aged 75 years and older in Simcoe Muskoka experienced the most deaths between 2000 and 2005 at 12,569. The leading cause of deaths among these seniors was IHD, which was responsible for 21 per cent of all deaths. Table one below provides a summary of the leading causes of death, by age group, for Simcoe Muskoka between 2000 and 2005.