Nearly one-third of all deaths among older persons were due to heart disease, including heart attacks and chronic ischemic heart disease (inadequate supply of blood, caused by blockage of an artery). Cancer accounted for about one-fifth of all deaths in that age group.

The third leading cause of death for older persons is stroke or cerebrovascular disease, followed by chronic lower respiratory diseases (CLRD), which include chronic bronchitis, emphysema, asthma, and other chronic lower respiratory diseases. The leading causes of death vary among different age, sex, and race and Hispanic origin groups.