The CDC Released Preliminary Mortality Data for 2022

The CDC released preliminary data on the leading causes of death for 2022. Heart disease and cancer were again 1 and 2 respectively, unintentional injuries was 3, COVID-19 at 4 and cerebrovascular diseases (diseases effecting blood vessels and flow in the brain) rounding out the top 5.

Below is a graph of the top 6 leading causes of death over the last 5 years using data from the CDC Wonder Program.

Since 2018 heart disease and cancer combined have accounted for nearly 1.3 million deaths per year (2020 through 2022 COVID-19 killed 950,000 Americans), and 2022 saw a slight increase in both, despite the fact that its estimated that 50+% of people who died of COVID also had at least 2 comorbidities. Said another way, even though a majority of people who died from COVID likely had underlying heart disease and cancer, the number of people who died from each increased.

The third leading cause of death, unintentional injuries, includes overdoses, which were estimated to be 107,622 in 2021. That would mean that overdose deaths accounted for ~50% of all deaths in this category.

In 2020 60% of overdoses were people ages 0 - 44, and its estimated that 2.1 million Americans have Opioid use disorder. Overdose deaths need their own category to help shed awareness on the issue. It is one of the main drivers for the declining life expectancy in the U.S. We have a mental health crisis that needs immediate attention.