Women's health issues : official publication of the Jacobs Institute of Women's Health
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Womens Health Issues · Nov 2016
Is Heart Disease or Cancer the Leading Cause of Death in United States Women?
This paper compares the mortality burden of heart disease versus cancer among women by age, race, and ethnicity. ⋯ Heart disease remains the leading cause of death among all women combined in the United States by a narrow margin. However, cancer predominantly kills middle-aged and young women, whereas heart disease predominantly kills the very old. New research on the overreporting of heart disease on death certificates for elderly women is needed. National summary statistics obscure the fact that cancer is already the overall leading cause of death for Hispanic women, Asian and Pacific Islander women, and American Indian and Alaska Native women.