Leading causes of death

The top two leading causes of death in Lenawee County are heart disease and cancer (U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2019-2023). Heart disease is a public health concern, but can be preventable through eating nutritionally dense foods, exercising, and not smoking (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research, 1998-2025). When comparing the leading causes of death with the state of Michigan, Lenawee County has an increasingly higher rate of residents dying from Alzheimer’s disease. The rate of death by stroke is also rising at a faster rate in Lenawee County than in the state.

From 2021 to 2023, death rates in Lenawee County decreased for COVID-19, heart disease, chronic lower respiratory disease, accidents, and diabetes (see Figure 13) (U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2019-2023). In the same time frame, death rates in Lenawee County increased for cancer, Alzheimer’s disease, stroke, kidney disease, and liver disease. Compared to statewide estimates in 2023, Lenawee County had higher death rates attributed to cancer, Alzheimer’s disease, and chronic lower respiratory disease, and lower death rates attributed to heart disease, accidents, and COVID-19 (U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2019-2023).