Ten Leading Causes of Death in Women

The list below shows the 10 leading causes of death in women in 2007, according to the National Center for Health Statistics. The numbers in parentheses are the total deaths of women for each disease or disease category:

1. Heart disease (306,246)
2. Cancer (270,018)
3. Cerebrovascular diseases (81,841)
4. Chronic lower-respiratory diseases (66,689)
5. Alzheimer’s disease (52,832)
6. Accidents (43,879)
7. Diabetes (35,904)
8. Influenza and pneumonia (28,646)
9. Nephritis (23,832)
10. Septicemia (18,989)

Source: National Vital Statistics Report, Vol. 58, No. 19, May 20, 2010. National Center for Health Statistics.