Comparison of Risk Estimates for Selected Diseases and Causes of Death

This study focuses on short-term age-conditional risk estimates for a broad set of important chronic diseases & nondisease causes of death among white & black men & women. Acute deaths from suicide, homicide or legal intervention, & fatal motor vehicle accidents dominate the risk picture for persons in their 20s. Late in life, cancer, acute myocardial infarction, Alzheimer’s & stroke become most common. Differences in disease & death risks are reported among age-specific race & gender subgroups.