Suicide overtakes dementia to become eighth leading cause of death in men: New ... trends now
Men are now more likely to die from suicide than dementia in the US, a major analysis of the nation's top ten causes of death has revealed.
The CDC found suicide was the eighth leading cause of death in men in 2021, with 38,400 deaths per year, while Alzheimer's was ninth at 37,000 fatalities.
Among women, suicide did not make the top ten — with 9,800 deaths recorded in this category. For comparison, Alzheimer's was the fifth leading cause of death with 82,400 fatalities.
The shift appears to have been driven by rising rates among young adults, which has previously been linked to social media use and the rising cost of living.
Overall, the report for 2021 — the latest year with data available — found heart disease, cancer and Covid were the three leading causes of death as they were in 2020.
The above graphic shows the top ten leading causes of death for men and women by year
Suicides are rising in the US and, according to preliminary data, hit a record level in 2022 with 50,000 Americans taking their own lives.
Experts have already said social media is partially to blame, with 84 percent of adults aged 18 to 29 years in the US on the platforms.
Other factors include worsening mental health among under-35s which has been linked to the rising costs of housing and starting a family.
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