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Abridged Life Tables for Japan, 1999

V. Analyses by cause of death

1. Mortality probabilities by cause of death

Mortality probability by cause of death means the probability for a person on the life tables to die of specified cause of death.

As for leading four causes of death in 1999 the probability of malignant neoplasms is the largest for both sexes at age 0,followed by heart diseases.

The mortality probability of three leading causes of death (i.e. malignant neoplasms, heart diseases and cerebrovascular diseases) accounts for over 50 percent for both sexes.

Compared with the previous year, malignant neoplasms and cerebrovascular diseases show smaller probabilities and pneumonia shows larger probability for both sexes.

Table 5. Mortality probabilities by cause of death

(%)
Cause of death Age 0 Age 65 Age 80
Male Female Male Female Male Female
Malignant neoplasms 29.29 19.78 28.36 17.68 20.62 13.38
Heart diseases 14.47 18.49 14.94 19.34 15.96 20.12
Cerebrovascular diseases 13.51 17.22 14.47 17.94 15.85 18.79
Pneumonia 11.93 12.01 13.69 12.82 17.48 14.45
Accidents 4.11 2.83 3.20 2.59 3.03 2.36
Traffic accidents 1.23 0.57 0.62 0.38 0.40 0.21
Suicide 2.74 1.23 0.94 0.65 0.57 0.40
Renal failure 1.83 2.34 2.04 2.47 2.41 2.64
Diseases of liver 1.57 0.88 1.02 0.79 0.64 0.57
Diabetes mellitus 1.10 1.23 1.04 1.24 0.85 1.06
Hypertensive diseases 0.56 1.22 0.62 1.31 0.81 1.50
Tuberculosis 0.39 0.17 0.40 0.17 0.38 0.15

2. Potential years of life lost

Assuming that a certain cause of death is eliminated, a person, who should have died of the cause, would die of the another cause afterwards. As a result, one's life span would be extended. This extension, which is called the potential years of life lost, can be regarded as one's life lost by that cause of death, and it enables to estimate the effect of that cause to one's life expectancy.

In 1999, the order of potential years of life lost at age 0 and 65 is the 1st malignant neoplasms, the 2nd heart diseases, the 3rd cerebrovascular diseases, and the 4th pneumonia for both sexes.

Meanwhile, at age 80 malignant neoplasms shows the largest potential year for male and heart diseases for female.

Potential years of life lost by the three main causes of death are 8.52 years for males and 7.79 years for females at age 0. They are 6.79 years for males and 6.43 years for females at age 65, and 4.03 years for males and 4.72 years for females at age 80.

Table 6. Potential years of life lost

(Years)
Cause of death Age 0 Age 65 Age 80
Male Female Male Female Male Female
Malignant neoplasms 3.93 2.92 2.90 1.88 1.22 0.92
Heart diseases 1.51 1.66 1.16 1.56 0.85 1.31
Cerebrovascular diseases 1.28 1.53 1.10 1.43 0.85 1.21
Pneumonia 0.89 0.88 0.92 0.88 0.93 0.86
Accidents 0.76 0.40 0.25 0.22 0.15 0.14
Traffic accidents 0.34 0.14 0.06 0.04 0.02 0.01
Suicide 0.74 0.33 0.09 0.07 0.03 0.03
Renal failure 0.14 0.18 0.13 0.17 0.11 0.15
Diseases of liver 0.27 0.12 0.10 0.08 0.03 0.04
Diabetes mellitus 0.13 0.13 0.09 0.11 0.04 0.07
Hypertensive diseases 0.04 0.08 0.04 0.08 0.04 0.08
Tuberculosis 0.04 0.02 0.03 0.01 0.02 0.01
Three main causes of death 8.52 7.79 6.79 6.43 4.03 4.72

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