Here are the leading causes of death in Fresno — and how they’ve changed since 2020
Deaths from COVID-19 among Fresno County residents have tapered off dramatically over the past few months, but that doesn’t mean we’re out of the woods just yet.
Still, data from the California Department of Public Health shows there are plenty of other diseases and factors to consider when looking at the top causes of death locally.
From January 2020 – just before the first confirmed local coronavirus cases were reported – through July 2022, COVID-19 claimed the lives of almost 2,700 Fresno County residents.
That works out to about 260 deaths per 100,000 residents in the county, making it the third-leading cause of death for that 31-month period.
By year, Fresno County experienced 939 coronavirus deaths in 2020, 1,394 in 2021, and 348 through the first seven months of 2022.
As coronavirus deaths declined, Alzheimer’s disease surpassed COVID-19 as the No. 3 cause of death among Fresno County residents during the first six months of 2022, with 358 fatalities attributed to complications from the progressive brain dementia.
Since January 2020, only heart disease and cancer killed more people in Fresno County than COVID-19. Various heart diseases collectively claimed almost 4,700 lives, or about 460 per 100,000 of the population, while cancers were responsible for almost 3,500 deaths or a rate of about 337 per 100,000.
The 15 leading causes of death in the county since January 2020 are:
- Heart diseases: 4,665 deaths, 460.2 per 100,000 residents.
- Cancers: 3,477 deaths, 343.0 per 100,000 residents.
- COVID-19: 2,681 deaths, 264.5 per 100,000 residents.
- Alzheimer’s disease: 1,419 deaths, 139.9 per 100,000 residents.
- Accidents / unintentional injury: 1,387 deaths, 136.8 per 100,000 residents.
- Cerebrovascular diseases / stroke: 1,115 deaths, 110.0 per 100,000 residents.
- Diabetes: 840 deaths; 82.9 per 100,000 residents.
- Chronic lower respiratory disease / emphysema, chronic bronchitis, asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD): 809 deaths, 79.8 per 100,000 residents.
- Essential hypertension (high blood pressure) and related renal disease: 561 deaths, 55.3 per 100,000 residents.
- Chronic liver disease and cirrhosis: 498 deaths, 49.1 per 100,000 residents.
- Septicemia / sepsis (blood infection): 349 deaths, 33.5 per 100,000 residents.
- Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome (kidneys): 336 deaths, 33.1 per 100,000 residents.
- Influenza and pneumonia: 321 deaths, 31.7 per 100,000 residents.
- Assault / homicide: 263 deaths, 25.9 per 100,000 residents.
- Intentional self-harm / suicide: 257 deaths, 25.4 per 100,000 residents.
In 2022 through July, the leading causes of death in Fresno County have been:
- Heart diseases: 1,062 deaths, 104.8 per 100,000 residents.
- Cancers: 772 deaths, 76.2 per 100,000 residents.
- Alzheimer’s disease: 358 deaths, 35.3 per 100,000 residents.
- COVID-19, 348 deaths, 34.3 per 100,000 residents.
- Accidents / unintentional injury: 281 deaths, 27.7 per 100,000 residents.
- Cerebrovacular diseases / stroke: 277 deaths, 27.3 per 100,000 residents.
- Diabetes: 207 deaths, 20.4 per 100,000 residents.
- Chronic lower respiratory disease / emphysema, chronic bronchitis, asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD): 186 deaths, 18.4 per 100,000 population.
- Essential hypertension (high blood pressure) and related renal disease: 110 deaths, 10.9 per 100,000 residents.
- Chronic liver disease and cirrhosis: 105 deaths, 10.4 per 100,000 residents.
- Septicemia / sepsis (blood infection): 83 deaths, 8.2 per 100,000 residents.
- Influenza and pneumonia: 80 deaths, 7.9 per 100,000 residents.
- Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome (kidneys): 75 deaths, 7.4 per 100,000 residents.
- Parkinson’s disease: 70 deaths, 6.9 per 100,000 residents.
- Intentional self-harm / suicide: 59 deaths, 5.8 per 100,000 residents.
- Assault / homicide: 263 deaths, 25.9 per 100,000 residents.
The data shows that the burdens of COVID-19 and other causes don’t affect everyone equally. Some diseases or factors, such as heart disease, COVID-19, accidents, liver disease, homicide and suicide strike men at significantly higher rates than women. Women suffered deaths from Alzheimer’s disease and strokes at greater rates than men.
And there are racial or ethnic disparities, as well. White residents had substantially higher rates of deaths from heart disease, cancer, Alzheimer’s, stroke, and lower respiratory disease than other racial or ethnic groups in Fresno County.
Black or African-American residents had a slightly higher death rate than other races or ethnicities from accidents; and significantly higher rates of deaths from diabetes, septicemia, kidney disease, influenza/pneumonia and homicide.
This story was originally published September 29, 2022 at 8:11 AM.
