Sources
Help build the largest human-edited directory on the web.
Submit a site - Become an editor
Wikipedia. Licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License.
Are you an expert in this subject? Join the discussion and share your knowledge at Wikipedia.org.
Death by natural causes
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
 |
This article does not cite any references or sources. (March 2007) Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unverifiable material may be challenged and removed. |
In medicine, death by natural causes is a loosely-defined term used by coroners describing death when the cause of death was a naturally occurring disease process, or is not apparent given medical history or circumstances. Thus, deaths caused by active human intervention (as opposed to the failure of medical intervention to prevent death) are excluded from this definition, and are described as unnatural deaths.
The majority of deaths in most countries are due to natural causes, and the majority of those deaths occur in old age.
In the United States for example, the most common natural cause of death is heart disease, accounting for 30% of all deaths. Other common natural causes are stroke, Alzheimer's disease, congenital anomalies, genetic disorders (such as cystic fibrosis), serious infections, and respiratory disorders (figures as of the year 2000).
- Death by Natural Causes
- What is death by natural causes?
- Bristol Royal Infirmary Inquiry, Annex A: [http:/ /www.bristol-inquiry.org.uk/final_report/annex_a/chapter_18_12.htm 'Unnatural death' and 'death by natural causes']
- Actual Causes of Death in the US, 2000
 |
This death-related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |