What Does It Mean To Die Of ‘Natural Causes’?

The phrase “natural causes” is common in death announcements. Whenever someone passes away, whether it be a loved one, a celebrity, or another newsworthy person, you’re likely to hear they died of “natural causes.”

Natural causes account for over 90% of deaths in the United States. But what does it mean? Natural death is caused by an internal factor, such as cancer, heart disease, or diabetes, that causes the body to shut down. A traumatic injury or other external cause could not have caused the death.

Death caused by something external is considered “non-natural,” such as suicide, homicide, drowning, car accidents, or drug overdoses. Death certificates distinguish between the cause and manner of death. Technically, natural causes are not the cause of death but how the person died.

As Dr. Cheng-Ying Ho, associate professor of pathology at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, said, “Manner of death is a classification of causes based on how they occur, such as natural, accident, suicide, homicide, and undetermined.”

There will be a death certificate specifying the immediate cause and any underlying conditions that might have contributed to the death. For example, hypertensive cardiovascular disease may be the underlying cause of death, resulting in intracerebral hemorrhage – or stroke.

Doctors often determine the cause and manner of natural deaths. Dr. Kathryn Pinneri, a forensic pathologist, said it could be the person’s primary care physician, a specialist such as an oncologist, or the hospital physician if the person died in the hospital.

The death certificate, however, would be filled out by a medical examiner or coroner if natural causes did not cause the death. “Medical records and the circumstances surrounding the death are reviewed when determining the cause and manner of death in a natural death,” Pinneri said. A scene investigation report, law enforcement reports, or EMS reports are needed for non-natural deaths.