# What is the most/least common cause of death reported?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-least-common-cause-of-death-reported/231184>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [February 25, 2004, 11:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-least-common-cause-of-death-reported/231184 "2004-02-25T23:07:16Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![fezpp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/da6949/32.png) [@fezpp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fezpp)\
**Post date:** [February 26, 2004, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-least-common-cause-of-death-reported/231184/21 "2004-02-26T16:15:49Z")

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> [@Ender\_Will](#):
>
> Can’t all deaths be classified as heart failure? The heart’s beating, you’re alive. It’s not, you’re dead. What induces the heart failure is another matter…

I think, technically, all deaths are classified of a ‘lack of oxygen to the brain’. A common cause of this is that the heart stops beating but suffocation, asphyxiation could also cause it while the heart is still beating.  
A machine could keep you alive while your heart wasn’t beating on it’s own but if the blood can’t get to your brain you are all out of luck!

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