Table 4

Most common causes of death in adults with and without intellectual disabilities

Intellectual disabilitiesControls
Cause (n)ICD codesCause (n)ICD codes
Underlying causes of deaths
1. Down Syndrome (n=341)Q90.0, Q90.1, Q90.2, Q90.9 Malignant neoplasm of bronchus and lung (n=5163) C34.0, C34.1, C34.2, C34.3, C34.8, C34.9
2. Dementia (n=227)F00.0, F00.1, F00.2, F00.9, F03, G30.0, G30.1, G30.8, G30.9 Acute myocardial infarction (n=4907)I21.0, I21.1, I21.2, I21.3, I21.4, I21.9
3. Acute myocardial infarction (n=158)I21.0, I21.1, I21.2, I21.3, I21.4, I21.9 Dementia (n=4857)F00.0, F00.1, F00.2, F00.9, F03, G30.0, G30.1, G30.8, G30.9
4. Pneumonia, organism unspecified (n=150)J18.0, J18.1, J18.2, J18.8, J18.9 Other chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (n=3720) J44.0, J44.1, J44.8, J44.9
5. Epilepsy (n=137)G40.0, G40.1, G40.2, G40.3, G40.4, G40.5, G40.6, G40.7, G40.8, G40.9, G41.0, G41.1, G41.2, G41.8, G41.9 Chronic ischaemic heart disease (n=3672) I25.0, I25.1, I25.2, I25.3, I25.4, I25.5, I25.6, I25.7, I25.8, I25.9
6. Pneumonitis due to solids and liquids (n=128) J69.0, J69.1, J69.8Intracerebral haemorrhage, cerebral infarction and stroke, not specified as haemorrhage or infarction (n=2814) I61.0, I61.2, I61.3, I61.4, I61.5, I61.6, I61.8, I61.9, I63.0, I63.1, I63.2, I63.3, I63.4, I63.5, I63.6, I63.8, I63.9, I64
7. Cerebral palsy (n=123) G80.0, G80.1, G80.2, G80.3, G80.4, G80.8, G80.9 Pneumonia, organism unspecified (n=2194) J18.0, J18.1, J18.2, J18.8, J18.9
8. Intracerebral haemorrhage, cerebral infarction and stroke, not specified as haemorrhage or infarction (n=111) I61.0, I61.2, I61.3, I61.4, I61.5, I61.6, I61.8, I61.9, I63.0, I63.1, I63.2, I63.3, I63.4, I63.5, I63.6, I63.8, I63.9, I64 Vascular dementia (n=2136)F01.0, F01.1, F01.2, F01.3, F01.8, F01.9
9. Chronic ischaemic heart disease (n=110) I25.0, I25.1, I25.2, I25.3, I25.4, I25.5, I25.6, I25.7, I25.8, I25.9 Malignant neoplasm of breast unspecified (n=1303)C50.0, C50.1, C50.2, C50.3, C50.5, C50.6, C50.8, C50.9
10. Other chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (n=78) J44.0, J44.1, J44.8, J44.9 Malignant neoplasm of prostate (n=1237) C61
11. Malignant neoplasm of bronchus and lung (n=67) C34.0, C34.1, C34.2, C34.3, C34.8, C34.9 Accidents: other external causes of accidental injury: Falls (n=1005) W19
12. Vascular dementia (n=61)F01.0, F01.1, F01.2, F01.3, F01.8, F01.9 Malignant neoplasm of oesophagus (n=999) C15.9
13. Urinary tract infection (n=48) N39.0 Sequelae of other and unspecified cerebrovascular diseases (n=996) I69.8
14. Other specified respiratory disorders (n=41) J98.8 Malignant neoplasm: pancreas (n=886) C25.9
15. Other ill identified cause of mortality (n=38) R99 Malignant neoplasm: colon (n=728) C18.9
16. Sequelae of other and unspecified cerebrovascular diseases (n=37) I69.8 Urinary tract infection (n=638) N39.0
17. Malignant neoplasm of oesophagus (n=33) C15.9 Malignant neoplasm: bladder (n=628) C67.9
18. Malignant neoplasm of breast (n=30): C50.0, C50.1, C50.2, C50.3, C50.5, C50.6, C50.8, C50.9
Malignant neoplasm, site unspecified (n=30): C80
Malignant neoplasm, site unspecified (n=594) C80
19. Developmental disorder of scholastic skills, unspecified (n=28) F81.9 Other interstitial pulmonary diseases with fibrosis (n=576) J84.1
20. Sepsis, unspecified (n=26) A41.9 Parkinson disease (n=554) G20
All contributing factors in deaths
1. Pneumonia, organism unspecified (n=731) J18.0, J18.1, J18.2, J18.8, J18.9 Chronic ischaemic heart disease (n=12 607) I25.0, I25.1, I25.2, I25.3, I25.4, I25.5, I25.6, I25.7, I25.8, I25.9
2. Down syndrome (n=593)Q90.0, Q90.1, Q90.2, Q90.9 Pneumonia, organism unspecified (n=9833) J18.0, J18.1, J18.2, J18.8, J18.9
3. Pneumonitis due to solids and liquids (n=487) J69.0, J69.1, J69.8Other chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (n=9012) J44.0, J44.1, J44.8, J44.9
4. Epilepsy (n=412)G40.0, G40.1, G40.2, G40.3, G40.4, G40.5, G40.6, G40.7, G40.8, G40.9, G41.0, G41.1, G41.2, G41.8, G41.9 Dementia (n=8474)F00.0, F00.1, F00.2, F00.9, F03, G30.0, G30.1, G30.8, G30.9
5. Developmental disorder of scholastic skills, unspecified (n=380) F81.9 Acute myocardial infarction (n=5968) I21.0, I21.1, I21.2, I21.3, I21.4, I21.9
6. Dementia (n=357)F00.0, F00.1, F00.2, F00.9, F03, G30.0, G30.1, G30.8, G30.9 Essential primary hypertension (n=5879) I10.0
7. Chronic ischaemic heart disease (n=295) I25.0, I25.1, I25.2, I25.3, I25.4, I25.5, I25.6, I25.7, I25.8, I25.9Malignant neoplasm of bronchus and lung (n=5727) C34.0, C34.1, C34.2, C34.3, C34.8, C34.9
8. Cerebral palsy (n=215) G80.0, G80.1, G80.3, G80.4, G80.8, G80.9 Other general symptoms and signs (n=5058) R68.8
9. Acute myocardial infarction (n=202)I21.0, I21.1, I21.2, I21.3, I21.4, I21.9 Intracerebral haemorrhage, cerebral infarction and stroke, not specified as haemorrhage or infarction (n=4733) I61.0, I61.1, I61.2, I61.3, I61.4, I61.5, I61.6, I61.8, I61.9, I63.0, I63.1, I63.2, I63.3, I63.4, I63.5, I63.6, I63.8, I63.9, I64
10. Diabetes without complications (n=196) E11.9 Diabetes without complications (n=4495) E11.9
11. Other general symptoms and signs (n=185) R68.8 Vascular dementia (n=3948)F01.0, F01.1, F01.2, F01.3, F01.8, F01.9
12. Intracerebral haemorrhage, cerebral infarction and stroke, not specified as haemorrhage or infarction (n=178) I61.0, I61.1, I61.2, I61.3, I61.4, I61.5, I61.6, I61.8, I61.9, I63.0, I63.1, I63.2, I63.3, I63.4, I63.5, I63.6, I63.9, I64 Pneumonitis due to solids and liquids (n=2945) J69.0, J69.1, J69.8
13. Sepsis, unspecified (n=173) A41.9 Atrial fibrillation and flutter (n=2734) I48
14. Other chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (n=165)J44.0, J44.1, J44.8, J44.9 Sepsis, unspecified (n=2522) A41.9
15. Essential primary hypertension (n=130) I10 Age-related physical debility (n=2513) R54
16. Unspecified acute lower respiratory infection (n=127) J22 Congestive heart failure (n=2439) I50.0
17. Urinary tract infection site not specified (n=113) N39.0 Sequelae of other and unspecified cerebrovascular diseases (n=2346) I69.8
18. Acute renal failure unspecified (n=86) N17.9 Unspecified acute lower respiratory infection (n=2229) J22
19. Congestive heart failure (n=82) I50.0 Atrial fibrillation and atrial flutter, unspecified (n=2213) I48.9
20. Other respiratory disorders (n=81) J98.8 Acute renal failure, unspecified (n=2190) N17.9
  • While all codes included in the ICD-10 groupings are listed above, the highlights in bold refer to those codes, which were present in the data.

  • ICD, International Classification of Diseases.