Compare Causes of Death
Select two causes of death to compare total deaths, age-adjusted rates, most-affected states, and 19-year national trends. Data from CDC WONDER, 1999–2017.
Summary (2017)
Stroke
Heart disease
Head-to-Head (2017)
| Metric | Stroke | Heart disease | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Deaths | 146,383 | 647,457 | B +501,074 (77%) |
| Avg Age-Adjusted Rate | 37.4/100K | 166.0/100K | B +128.6/100K |
| Highest Rate State | Mississippi 51.1/100K | Oklahoma 237.2/100K | Different states |
| Lowest Rate State | New York 24.6/100K | Minnesota 119.1/100K | Different states |
Age-Adjusted Rate Trend
National average age-adjusted death rate per 100,000 population, 1999–2017.
View trend data as table
| Year | Stroke | Heart disease |
|---|---|---|
| 1999 | 62.9 | 256.1 |
| 2000 | 61.6 | 249.6 |
| 2001 | 59.2 | 241.9 |
| 2002 | 58.3 | 237.0 |
| 2003 | 55.6 | 230.2 |
| 2004 | 51.6 | 215.5 |
| 2005 | 48.8 | 211.5 |
| 2006 | 45.4 | 201.3 |
| 2007 | 43.9 | 192.4 |
| 2008 | 42.7 | 188.5 |
| 2009 | 40.5 | 180.1 |
| 2010 | 39.9 | 176.8 |
| 2011 | 38.6 | 171.6 |
| 2012 | 37.6 | 169.6 |
| 2013 | 36.6 | 169.1 |
| 2014 | 36.8 | 167.8 |
| 2015 | 37.5 | 168.9 |
| 2016 | 37.2 | 167.0 |
| 2017 | 37.4 | 166.0 |
Top 5 States by Death Rate (2017)
States with the highest age-adjusted death rates for each cause.
Stroke
Heart disease
Lowest 5 States by Death Rate (2017)
Stroke
Heart disease
Age-adjusted rates per 100,000 population, using year 2000 US standard population. ICD-10 codes: I60-I69 (Stroke), I00-I09 (Heart disease). Source: CDC WONDER, Underlying Cause of Death.
How PlainHealth Comparison Works
The comparison tool lets you stack two or more records side by side so you can see their key metrics at the same time. Comparisons are produced deterministically from the underlying dataset, the same inputs always produce the same output, so you can cite them, bookmark them, and return later with confidence that the numbers have not been quietly edited by an algorithm tuned for engagement.
Reading a Comparison Page Well
Comparison tables highlight differences first and similarities second. Pay attention to the time frame each column covers, records refreshed at different cadences can appear more different than they really are. Look at the denominator of any rate-based field; a record with a small denominator can show a dramatic rate from a handful of observations. Where a metric is known to be noisy, we flag it on the page. The goal is to help you triage quickly, then click through to the full records for the substantive detail.
When to Use Compare
Comparison is most useful early in research, when you want to shortlist candidates, narrow a geography, or decide which records deserve a deeper read. It is less useful as the final step of a consequential decision. Once you have shortlisted records from the comparison view, click through to the full record page to see every field, the methodology notes, and any warnings we attach to the data quality of that specific record. For legal, medical, financial, safety, or employment decisions, verify the underlying fact with the issuing agency before acting.
Methodology Notes
The comparison page pulls live from the same canonical dataset that powers the rest of the site. We do not re-rank, re-weight, or post-process values for the comparison view, every cell you see is the same value you would see on the individual record page. When a field is missing on one of the compared records, we show an em dash rather than a zero, so that "absent" is never confused with "zero." If a comparison appears to contradict a record page, email us the specific record IDs and we will triage within the next refresh cycle.