Forensic pathologist explains what is most likely to kill you

Though no one likes to think about how they might meet their own demise, a forensic pathologist has explained the most common way people kick the bucket.

That's right, we might be past Halloween and looking ahead to the more festive holiday season, but we're not through with the morbid topics just yet.

Obviously, though, death is a part of life, and so it's probably good to be in the know about common ways people die so you can be on the look out for them yourself.

Forensic pathologist Dr Richard Shepherd got into the field after coming across a textbook that was packed with pictures of dead bodies.

He explained that he was 'amazed' by the notion of doctors helping police and courts to establish people's causes of death.

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In an interview with UNILAD, he discussed causes of death he deals with in the profession; some of which he's seen more often than others.

When considering the most common causes of death, Shepherd quickly came back with one cause in particular: heart disease.

"That's the thing that kills most people," he explained.

Shepherd's claim is backed by the NHS, which explains that cardiovascular disease (CVD), aka conditions affecting the heart or blood vessels, is one of the main causes of death and disability in the UK.

There are many different types of CVD, but main types include coronary heart disease, when the flow of oxygen-rich blood to the heart is blocked or reduced, and strokes and transient ischaemic attack, where the blood supply to part of the brain is cut off or temporarily disrupted.

UNILAD

Also included in the main types of CVD are peripheral arterial disease, which is when there's a blockage in the arteries to the limbs, and aortic diseases, a group of conditions affecting the largest blood vessel in the body.

Following heart disease, Shepherd said the next most common cause is respiratory disease.

Respiratory diseases affect one in five people, according to the NHS, with lung cancer, pneumonia and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) listed as the biggest causes of death.

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When it comes to 'accidental deaths', the pathologist listed 'drugs, with or without road traffic accidents', and if the cause of death is murder, the most common culprit is 'stabbings', Shepherd said.

"They are the commonest cause of death, and the person most likely to stab you is a friend or relative," he explained.

Forensic pathologists assist in determining the cause of death in cases of unexpected deaths - those in which there is 'no good reason' why the patient should have died.