In recent years, there have been changes in the causes of death among the elderly in Japan
The rate of deaths from old age, which was once low, has increased, and the reasons behind this are thought to include an ultra-aging society and advances in medical science
In this article, we will introduce the causes of death among the elderly and their trends based on the results of the demographic survey conducted by the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare
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Causes and trends of death among the elderly
Let's look at causes of death among the elderly by age
The most common causes of death for people aged 55 to 79 are malignant neoplasms, heart disease, cerebrovascular disease, suicide, and accidental accidents, in that order, and there has been no change in the rankings over this period
However, pneumonia begins to increase in people over the age of 65. For people over the age of 80, pneumonia replaces cerebrovascular disease as the third most common cause
Then, around age 85, the number of deaths from old age begins to replace accidental accidents. The death rate from old age increases with age, and for people aged 95 and over, it ranks first
For more information on causes of death in the elderly, see below
Malignant neoplasms (cancer)
Malignant neoplasms are the leading cause of death among the elderly, with one in three to four Japanese people dying from malignant neoplasms
It is the number one malignant neoplasm in many age groups, and its onset is caused by an accumulation of genetic abnormalities
Genetic abnormalities become more likely as people get older, and it is said that the number of deaths from malignant neoplasms will continue to increase until around 2030 to 2035, when the baby boomer generation will be in their late 80s
However, mortality rates have been declining since peaking in the mid-1990s, and cancer survival rates are on the rise for many sites
Heart disease
Heart disease, which continues to rank second or higher after the age of 50, includes all heart diseases except hypertension
The majority of these cases are ischemic heart disease, a condition that causes the heart muscle to become deprived of oxygen and nutrients, resulting in conditions such as angina and myocardial infarction
The death rate from heart disease temporarily decreased around 1994, but has been on the rise again since 1997. The main cause of heart disease is said to be arteriosclerosis, which is closely related to lifestyle-related diseases such as high blood pressure, dyslipidemia, and diabetes, as well as genetics and aging
It is known that the incidence of heart disease increases with age, and the rise in mortality rate is thought to be influenced by aging
senility
Senility is the decline in the function of vital organs such as the brain, lungs, and heart due to aging, leading to death from weakness
Most cases of death from old age occur around the age of 80, which is the average life expectancy, and are considered to be natural deaths that cannot be attributed to illness, accidents, or other causes
Senility, which is often diagnosed from the age of 85, is the leading cause of death for people over 95
Although old age was originally a rare cause of death, it is no longer uncommon due to the aging population and advances in medical science. In fact, the number of deaths due to old age has increased by about three times compared to 10 years ago
cerebrovascular disease
Cerebrovascular disease refers to a general range of brain and nerve disorders caused by blockage or rupture of cerebral blood vessels
Cerebrovascular disease used to be the number one cause of death, but now it is the third most common cause for people aged 55 to 79, and the fourth most common cause for people aged 80 and over. The decline in cerebrovascular disease is thought to be due to advances in medical technology and the promotion of preventive medicine for high blood pressure, diabetes, and arrhythmia
pneumonia
Pneumonia is the fourth most common cause of death among people aged 65-79, and rises to third place among people aged 80-100 or older
After the war, the mortality rate from pneumonia dropped dramatically with the advent of antibiotics, but since around 1970 it has been on the rise again
However, there has been a significant change in the age of death between the past and the present
In the past, deaths from pneumonia were bimodal, affecting both infants and the elderly, but now most deaths occur among people over 65. The reason for the continued increase in pneumonia deaths in modern times can be said to be related to Japan's aging population
Unforeseen accident
Accidental accidents are one of the leading causes of death in all age groups, but the incidence gradually decreases after the age of 85
At the same time, the age of 85 is also the time when the mortality rate due to old age begins to increase, and it is predicted that the decrease in the mortality rate due to accidental accidents is related to changes in living environment
This seems to reflect the trend of elderly people who are no longer going out, where they may be exposed to unexpected accidents, and are instead tending to stay indoors
Causes of death among the elderlyStop
This article focuses on causes of death among the elderly
- The causes of death among the elderly have changed due to aging and advances in medical science
・Mortality rates from lifestyle-related diseases are rising
The leading cause of death among the elderly is malignant neoplasms, which are currently on the rise
Death rates from heart disease temporarily decreased, but are now rising
As the population ages, senility is becoming more prevalent
・Cerebrovascular disease, which was once the leading cause of death, is on the decline
- The death rate from pneumonia decreased after the war, but is now rising again due to the aging population
・Unforeseen accidents decrease from around age 85, when senility increases
The increase in deaths due to old age and lifestyle-related diseases are both largely related to the current social climate
The aging society is expected to continue until 2040. What changes will we see in the future?
Supervision: Dr. Yasushi Tsuda