What are the leading causes of death in San Diego County in 2009?
SAN DIEGO – Autopsies and examinations performed by the Medical Examiner during the past year reveal concerning trends about what’s killing people. The Medical Examiner’s office performed 2,707 autopsies and examinations in 2009. Of those cases, the leading cause of death was cardiovascular disease, accounting for 592 cases. That was followed by drug- and medication-related deaths, with 443 cases and suicide with 377 cases. Only four deaths were AIDS-related, according to the 2009 statistics. “The number of drug-related deaths continues to rise, and it’s not just illegal drugs but also prescription medications that are involved. Drug-related deaths have increased 85 percent over the past 10 years,” said Chief Medical Examiner Glenn Wagner, D.O. Additional trends include: • Drug- and alcohol-related deaths have been the number one cause of non-natural deaths since 2003. There were 132 alcohol-related deaths last year. • Suicides have been on the rise since 2007, increasing 20 percent si
