Viz of the Month: April 2024

Author: Kristen Savage

About this viz: This bump chart shows changes in common causes of death over time. By ranking causes of death from most to least common for the years of interest, this viz allows viewers to see whether there are any noticeable trends over study follow-up.

As California Teachers Study (CTS) participants have aged, the most common causes of death have changed. In 2000, heart disease, breast cancer, and acute MI (heart attack) were the three most common causes of death. Over time, diseases of aging have become more common in the study. By 2020, Alzheimer's disease had become the 2nd most common cause of death in the California Teachers Study; in 2020, it was the top cause of death.

2020 was also the first year for which COVID-19 deaths were recorded in the CTS; COVID-19 was the third most common cause of death in the study that year.

Access the code: https://github.com/California-Teachers-Study/cts-viz-of-the-month/tree/main/2025-4