

Eventually, the compounded damage leads to a form of tissue/organ dysfunction incompatible with life.Ĭonsider the elasticity of a rubber band. It’s common to hear others say that a friend or relative died of “old age.” To me, to die of old age refers to the lifetime sum total of injury to the body’s tissues and organs. Is there a history of high cholesterol or early death in the family that might point to a genetic cause? Was there a history of drug abuse? Each case is treated uniquely to determine the manner and cause of death. However, his family history and lifestyle choices still need to be considered. Given his age, he would be less likely to have suffered from an infection or other disease compared to older adults, as unintentional injuries are the leading cause of death for children and adults ages 1 to 45. Many factors contribute when determining the manner of death, including the circumstances surrounding the death.Ĭonsider the case of a 35-year-old man who died from a heart attack. A person’s age is only part of the equation By comparison, the number of stroke deaths in people ages 45-64 was much lower, at about 18,000. In 2019, data shows that more than 129,000 people over the age of 65 died from strokes. According to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, strokes are the fourth leading cause of death for Americans 65 and older. Generally speaking, a stroke is a natural phenomenon, and the risk increases substantially with age. The “manner of death” would be considered “natural.” In this situation, the stroke would be considered the cause of death. Some news outlets noted she died of “natural causes.”Ī stroke can occur when blood flow to the brain is interrupted, commonly by a blood clot or broken blood vessel. According to the death certificate cited by numerous news outlets including Reuters, White died in her sleep nearly a week after suffering a “cerebrovascular accident,” also known as a stroke.

She passed away at the age of 99 on December 31, 2021, days before her 100th birthday. The death of television icon Betty White received a lot of attention in popular culture. It means there was no external reason for the death, such as a traumatic injury. Simply put, a “natural” death is one that occurs due to an internal factor that causes the body to shut down, such as cancer, heart disease or diabetes. It’s common to hear that someone died from “natural causes.” Here in the United States, the vast majority of deaths every year are classified as “natural,” but what exactly does that mean? Death is usually considered “natural” if it wasn’t caused by an external factor
