My father had no business dying at 74. He slipped on ice in a restaurant parking lot on a bitter-cold January 2012 evening, hit his head, and left a good 10 to 15 years on the table. Because he died in that manner, the bell in my own head now sounds far more frequently when I'm tempted to take ill-advised physical risks.

I have a young daughter for whom I want to be around, to watch grow up. I don't want to leave any years on the table, for her sake and mine. And like many things that dwell in the back of your mind, the longer they dwell, the more influence they tend to have on you.

Being mindful of one's mortality, in this case, tends to breed healthy longevity.

That minor epiphany got me thinking about what the most common causes of death are by age group in the United States. And then how those numbers compare to other regions of the world.

Below are my findings. At this point, you may be asking, why bother? Because the more we contemplate what is, statistically, most likely to kill us within our age bracket, the greater our chances of avoiding it and leaving this world on our own terms.

The American mortality transition

The United States reveals a stark shift across age groups. Cancer claims 23.1% of Americans aged 45 to 64, making it the dominant killer of middle age. But this threat steadily recedes to 11% of deaths among Americans 85 and older.

Heart disease follows the opposite trajectory, climbing from nearly 20% of deaths in middle age to more than 1 in 4 deaths among people 85 and up. Most striking is the emergence of Alzheimer's, which is absent from younger groups, to account for 7.9% of deaths after age 85.

As Americans survive cancer and heart disease longer, neurological conditions become more prominent.

Global patterns reveal key differences

In Australia, mortality causes largely mirror American patterns but with notable variations, according to government data I examined with some help from AI. Dementia becomes the leading cause of death at 29% for those 85 and older, likely reflecting changes in reporting practices as doctors increasingly list dementia as the underlying cause instead of complications like pneumonia.

Europe presents the starkest cardiovascular burden globally. (European health statistics group mortality into only two buckets: people under 65 and those 65 and older, so comparisons to U.S. mortality rates do not match up precisely.) Heart disease kills more than 1 in 3 Europeans aged 65 and older, compared to about 1 in 4 Americans 85 and older, suggesting either higher disease rates or less successful long-term management.

South America tells a different, even more sobering story. "External causes" — accidents, violence, workplace injuries — rank as the second leading killer among 40- to 64-year-olds, accounting for close to 1 in 5 deaths in that age cohort. Infectious diseases — a category that barely registers in American statistics — still cause 1 in 20 middle-aged deaths.

The forces behind the numbers

Why has heart disease become the biggest killer of Americans over age 45? Sedentary lifestyles, combined with industrialized food production, mean that ultra-processed foods now comprise the majority of calories in adult American diets.

But don't overlook other factors, including chronic stress caused by work, finances and our increasingly impersonal, digital-first social lives. Anxiety elevates blood pressure and works against perhaps the most powerful longevity intervention there is: sleep.

What can you do about it?

Understanding these mortality patterns offers a framework for targeted prevention. Though mortality risks change with age, many remain preventable.

For people in middle age: Cancer screening becomes paramount. This is the crucial window for establishing cardiovascular health practices.

For people 65 and up: Heart disease prevention takes center stage. Blood pressure management, cholesterol control and regular physical activity should become non-negotiable. Since cardiovascular disease dominates mortality in every developed country studied, early intervention pays enormous dividends.

For the oldest adults 85 and up: Cognitive health emerges as a priority as dementia becomes a leading cause of death across multiple continents.

Here's the crucial insight: Prevention compounds over time. Interventions in midlife prevent multiple conditions later. Surviving one major cause of death often exposes us to another, making comprehensive prevention essential.

Mindful mortality: The more you understand the statistical mortality landscape, the better your chances of leaving this world on your terms.

Photo credit: National Vital Statistics Report.

To find out more about Paul Von Zielbauer and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.

Photo credit: Jared Rice at Unsplash