Question

A 70-year-old man comes into his doctor’s of- fice for a routine check-up. His past medi- cal history is significant for a heart attack, for which he takes a daily baby aspirin and a b-blocker. He practices safe habits and always wears his seat belt while driving. His health has been “great” for the past few years, al- though he is concerned about his wife because she recently suffered a mild stroke. He denies any visual loss or motor or sensory weakness. The patient’s physical examination is unre- markable. Which of the following is the lead- ing cause of death among people age 65 years or older?

(A) Heart disease
(B) Malignancy
(C) Motor vehicle crashes (D) Stroke
(E) Suicide

Answer 1

The correct answer is A. Heart disease is the leading cause of death among the elderly (65 years old and older), as well as the leading cause of death if all ages are combined. The patient is at a particularly high risk for subse- quent cardiac events due to his previous history of myocardial infarction. Other major risk fac- tors for cardiac events are high blood pressure, hypercholesterolemia, and diabetes mellitus.

Answer B is incorrect. Cancer is the second most common cause of death. It ranks after heart disease, but before stroke.

Answer C is incorrect. Motor vehicle crashes, and accidents in general, are leading causes of death. However, they are the most common cause of death among children (1-14 years old) and adolescents (15-24 years old) and not among the elderly.

Answer D is incorrect. Stroke is the third most common cause of death among the elderly, be- hind heart disease and then cancer.

Answer E is incorrect. Suicide is not the lead- ing cause of death in the elderly. It is a com- mon cause of death among adolescents.