Early Death - Ages 65-74 in United States

United States

Based on calculations from 2023, the average 65-year-old in the United States should expect to live another 19.5 years. However, many older adults do not live to see their 75th birthday. The leading causes of death among adults ages 65-74 in the U.S. in 2023 were cancer, heart disease, chronic lower respiratory disease, cerebrovascular causes and diabetes according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Web-based Injury Statistics Query and Reporting System. 

Research estimates that 48% of all premature deaths involve behavioral and other preventable causes. Social factors also contribute to mortality risk; a study from 2010 demonstrates strong association between poverty, income inequality, racial segregation and low social support and increased deaths among adults age 65 and older. Social isolation, which affects about a quarter of older adults, also increases the risk of premature death.

According to America’s Health Rankings analysis, early death rates are higher among:

• Older men compared with older women.
• Black, Hawaiian/Pacific Islander and American Indian/Alaska Native adults compared with Hispanic, multiracial and Asian adults.

According to CDC data, early death rates are higher among adults living in rural areas compared with those in urban areas.

A variety of intervention strategies that encourage healthy lifestyles, physical and social activity and preventive care may reduce early death among older adults. Smoking prevention and cessation can decrease premature deaths attributable to lung cancer, heart disease and stroke. Addressing risk factors such as obesity, diabetes, physical inactivity and diet can further decrease premature deaths caused by heart disease and stroke. Physical activity, which includes aerobic and muscle-strengthening activities, has been associated with lower all-cause mortality. The National Council on Aging maintains a library of evidence-based physical activity programs tailored for older adults so individuals can find the program that best suits their needs.

Group interventions can enhance social support by providing physical activity sessions, group discussions or therapies. Studies have also found that use of digital or internet technologies among older adults can help prevent social isolation and is associated with decreased loneliness.

Cotterell, Natalie, Tine Buffel, and Christopher Phillipson. “Preventing Social Isolation in Older People.” Maturitas 113 (July 1, 2018): 80–84. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.maturitas.2018.04.014.

Czaja, Sara J. “The Role of Technology in Supporting Social Engagement Among Older Adults.” Public Policy & Aging Report 27, no. 4 (December 30, 2017): 145–48. https://doi.org/10.1093/ppar/prx034.

Galea, Sandro, Melissa Tracy, Katherine J. Hoggatt, Charles DiMaggio, and Adam Karpati. “Estimated Deaths Attributable to Social Factors in the United States.” American Journal of Public Health 101, no. 8 (August 2011): 1456–65. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2010.300086.

Murphy, Sherry L., Kenneth D. Kochanek, Jiaquan Xu, and Elizabeth Arias. “Mortality in the United States, 2023.” NCHS Data Brief No. 521. Hyattsville, MD: National Center for Health Statistics, December 19, 2024. https://doi.org/10.15620/cdc/170564.

National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. Social Isolation and Loneliness in Older Adults: Opportunities for the Health Care System. Washington, D.C.: National Academies Press, 2020. https://doi.org/10.17226/25663.

Novotney, Amy. “The Risks of Social Isolation.” Monitor on Psychology 50, no. 5 (May 2019): 32. https://www.apa.org/monitor/2019/05/ce-corner-isolation.

Webber, Bryant J., Katrina L. Piercy, Eric T. Hyde, and Geoffrey P. Whitfield. “Association of Muscle-Strengthening and Aerobic Physical Activity With Mortality in US Adults Aged 65 Years or Older.” JAMA Network Open 5, no. 10 (October 17, 2022): e2236778. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2022.36778.

Yu, Kexin, Shinyi Wu, and Iris Chi. “Internet Use and Loneliness of Older Adults Over Time: The Mediating Effect of Social Contact.” Edited by Deborah Carr. The Journals of Gerontology: Series B 76, no. 3 (February 17, 2021): 541–50. https://doi.org/10.1093/geronb/gbaa004.