Leading Causes of Death: Louisiana vs. National Data

SHREVEPORT, LA - You probably don't want to talk about death. Who does? But it's something we all have to think about at some point. You have probably lost a loved one. Most likely the cause of death is on the list of the top 10 causes of death in Louisiana.

I remember as a child my Mother always told me you would die a peaceful death if you went to church on the first Friday of the month for 9 months. It's actually called the "Nine First Fridays" devotion. This is probably why students in Catholic schools go to mass every Friday. My Mother died a very peaceful death. It certainly worked for her.

What is the most common cause of death in Louisiana?

This is no surprise, heart disease is the number 1 killer in Louisiana. It also is the #1 cause of death in Texas and many other states.

According to the CDC, Louisiana's death rate from heart disease is 224 -- which is the number of deaths per 100,000 population. Checking out the 2022 statistics (the most recent available), Louisiana had 12,284 deaths from heart disease.

The state with the highest rate of heart disease deaths is Oklahoma with a rate of 257.1.
Mississippi and Alabama also have high heart disease rates.

Minnesota, Hawaii, Colorado and Massachusetts have the lowest rate of heart disease deaths in the U.S.

Here Are the Top 10 Causes of Death in the U.S.:

Heart disease 702,880
Cancer: 608,371
Accidents (unintentional injuries): 227,039
COVID-19: 186,552
Stroke: 165,393
Chronic respiratory diseases: 147,382
Alzheimer’s disease: 120,122
Diabetes: 101,209
Kidney Disease: 57,937
Chronic liver disease and cirrhosis: 54,803