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Ministry of Health
Table, Twelve Leading Causes of Death

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Table, Twelve Leading Causes of Death

HIGHLIGHTS TO TABLE 22/FIGURE 15
  • The twelve leading causes of death for British Columbia, presented in this table, are based on the categories most frequently queried at the Vital Statistics Agency. Since 1993, cancers, heart disease and cerebrovascular disease have been the top three causes of death in the province, when ranked either by number of deaths or by age standardized mortality rates (ASMR). These three leading causes were responsible sixty percent of the deaths in the province in 1999. The order of leading causes shown in this table is ranked by number of deaths; the only change in the rankings from last year's annual report was pneumonia which went from fifth to fourth place, switching places with accidental deaths.

  • More than one in four deaths (27.2%) in the province in 1999 were due to cancer (7,570 deaths). The ASMR for cancer in 1999 was 16.28 deaths per 10,000 standard population, slightly lower than the five year (1994-1998) ASMR of 16.83. For deaths due to sub-categories of cancers, please refer to the Information Box, Deaths due to Cancers (Malignant Neoplasms) by Gender.

  • Heart disease was the second leading cause of death in 1999, accounting for more than one quarter (25.1%) of all deaths (6,980) with an ASMR of 14.18, a decrease from 15.76 for the 1994-1998 period. Until 1993, heart disease was the number one leading cause of death in the province (as shown in previous annual reports).

  • The third leading cause of death was cerebrovascular disease (2,276 deaths) causing one in twelve deaths (8.2%). The 1999 ASMR for cerebrovascular disease (4.55) was slightly below the 1994-1998 ASMR (4.91).

  • Pneumonia was the fourth leading cause of death in 1999 (1,338 deaths), up from fifth place in 1998. The ASMR for pneumonia was 2.63 in both 1999 and the 1994-1998 period.

  • Deaths from accidents were the fifth leading cause of death in 1999 (1,283 deaths), down from fourth place in 1998. The 1999 ASMR for accidents was 2.93, considerably lower than the 1994-1998 ASMR of 3.87.