UMEM Educational Pearls

Category: International EM

Title: What are the major global killers?

Keywords: Global burden of disease, international, non-communicable diseases, injuries (PubMed Search)

Posted: 7/29/2015 by Jon Mark Hirshon, MD, MPH, PhD
Click here to contact Jon Mark Hirshon, MD, MPH, PhD

Every wonder what are the major global killers? Per the World Health Organization, the following were the top 20 causes. 

Not unexpected, diseases primarily of the elderly, such ischemic heart disease, stroke and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease are on the top of the list.  However, there are others, such as road traffic injuries and HIV/AIDS that could impact anyone.

 

Top 20 Causes of Global Mortality, 2012
Rank Cause Deaths (000s) % deaths Deaths per 100,000 population
0 All Causes 55859 100.0 789.5
1 Ischaemic heart disease 7356 13.2 104.0
2 Stroke 6671 11.9 94.3
3 Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease 3104 5.6 43.9
4 Lower respiratory infections 3052 5.5 43.1
5 Trachea, bronchus, lung cancers 1600 2.9 22.6
6 HIV/AIDS 1534 2.8 21.7
7 Diarrhoeal diseases 1498 2.7 21.2
8 Diabetes mellitus 1497 2.7 21.2
9 Road injury 1255 2.3 17.7
10 Hypertensive heart disease 1141 2.0 16.1
11 Preterm birth complications 1135 2.0 16.0
12 Cirrhosis of the liver 1021 1.8 14.4
13 Tuberculosis 935 1.7 13.2
14 Kidney diseases 864 1.6 12.2
15 Self-harm 804 1.4 11.4
16 Birth asphyxia and birth trauma 744 1.3 10.5
17 Liver cancer 740 1.3 10.5
18 Stomach cancer 733 1.3 10.4
19 Colon and rectum cancers 724 1.3 10.2
20 Alzheimer's disease and other dementias 701 1.3 9.9

 

References

http://www.who.int/healthinfo/global_burden_disease/estimates/en/index1.html