Natural causes
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Medical Usage
In medicine, natural causes is a loosely-defined term describing death which occurs due to an illness, disorder, or other problem not caused by accident, homicide, or suicide. The term is commonly used by coroners when the cause of death is not apparent given medical history or circumstances.
The majority of deaths in the US are due to natural causes, and the majority of those deaths occur in old age.
As of the year 2000, the most common natural cause of death in the US is heart disease, accounting for 30% of all deaths. Cancer causes an additional 25% of all US deaths. Other common natural cases are stroke, Alzheimer's Disease, congenital anomalies, genetic disorders (such as cystic fibrosis), serious infections, and respiratory disorders.
Other Usages
In insurance, natural causes means an unpredictable or extreme act of nature caused without human intervention or agency. See also: Act of God.
Natural causes is also a novel by Michael Palmer.
External Links
- Actual Causes of Death in the US, 2000 (http://www.csdp.org/research/1238.pdf)