Death
hideDeath is the permanent termination of the biological functions that define a living organism. It refers to both a particular event and to the condition that results thereby. The true nature of the latter has for millennia been a central concern of the world's religious traditions and of philosophical enquiry. Many religions maintain faith in either some kind of afterlife or reincarnation. The effect of physical death on any possible mind or soul remains for many an open question.
Animals almost without exception (see hydra) die in due course from senescence. Intervening phenomena which commonly bring death earlier include malnutrition, predation, disease, accidents resulting in terminal physical injury, or, in extreme circumstances, grave ecosystem disruption. Intentional human activity causing death includes suicide, homicide, and war. Roughly 150,000 people die each day across the globe. Death in the natural world can also occur as an indirect result of human activity: an increasing cause of species depletion in recent times has been destruction of ecological systems as a consequence of the widening spread of industrial technology.
Death in this context is now seen as less an event than a process: conditions once considered indicative of death are now reversible. Where in the process a dividing line is drawn between life and death depends on factors beyond the presence or absence of vital signs. In general, clinical death is neither necessary nor sufficient for a determination of legal death. A patient with working heart and lungs determined to be brain dead can be pronounced legally dead without clinical death occurring. Precise medical definition of death, in other words, becomes more problematic, paradoxically, as scientific knowledge and technology advance.
For more information about Death, read the full article at
Wikipedia.
This text uses material from Wikipedia and is available under the GNU Free Documentation License.
News tagged with premature death
Medication improves health of patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension
Nov 17, 2009 |
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In one of the few studies of the long-term effects of medication in the treatment of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) disease, a team of researchers found the health and exercise capacity of PAH patients improved after ...
Packages of care for alcohol use disorders in low- and middle-income countries
Oct 27, 2009 |
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In the latest article in PLoS Medicine's series proposing the delivery of "packages of care" for mental, neurological and substance-use disorders in low- and middle-income countries, Vivek Benegal and colleagues discuss the tr ...
Male Australian redback spiders employ courtship strategies to preserve their life
Oct 22, 2009 |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- New research shows that male suitors of a female cannibalistic spider risk facing a premature death unless they perform an adequate courtship lasting a minimum of 100 minutes. Further, the research shows ...
No change in the link between deprivation and death since 1900s
Sep 11, 2009 |
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The link between deprivation and premature death is as strong today as it was in the early 1900s according to research published on BMJ.com today.
Thinner thighs, weaker heart
Sep 03, 2009 |
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Men and women whose thighs are less than 60cm in circumference have a higher risk of premature death and heart disease, according to research published on BMJ.com today. The study also concluded that individuals whose thighs ...
Delays in UK child brain tumor diagnosis
Aug 07, 2009 |
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Significant numbers of children in the UK are suffering from preventable levels of disability, particularly blindness, and premature death because of poor diagnosis of brain tumours.
Study finds cancer is the second most frequent cause of death in individuals with schizophrenia
Jun 22, 2009 |
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People with schizophrenia die from cancer four times as often as people in the general population. That was the conclusion of a new study published in the August 1, 2009 issue of Cancer, a peer-reviewed journal of the Am ...
Evidence supports use of Web- and computer-based programs to help adults quit smoking
May 25, 2009 |
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Available evidence supports the use of online or other computer-based smoking cessation programs for helping adults quit smoking, according to a meta-analysis of previously published studies appearing in the May 25 issue ...
Wash. state woman 1st death under new suicide law
May 24, 2009 |
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(AP) -- Linda Fleming was diagnosed with terminal cancer and feared her last days would be filled with pain and ever-stronger doses of medication that would erode her mind.
Report: Most Americans in areas with unhealthy air
Apr 29, 2009 |
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(AP) -- Sixty percent of Americans live in areas with unhealthy air pollution levels, despite a growing green movement and more stringent laws aimed at improving air quality, the American Lung Association ...
Do smokers cost society money?
Apr 08, 2009 |
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(AP) -- Smoking takes years off your life and adds dollars to the cost of health care. Yet nonsmokers cost society money, too - by living longer.
Being overweight just as risky to health as being a smoker
Feb 25, 2009 |
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Obese adolescents have the same risk of premature death in adulthood as people who smoke more than 10 cigarettes a day, while those who are overweight have the same risk as less heavy smokers, according to research published ...
Bipolar disorder linked to risk of early death from natural causes
Feb 02, 2009 |
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Bipolar disorder appears to increase the risk of early death from medical illnesses, according to a literature review study published as the lead article this week in the journal Psychiatric Services.
A large waist can almost double your risk of premature death, study
Nov 12, 2008 |
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Having a large waistline can almost double your risk of dying prematurely even if your body mass index is within the 'normal' range, according to a new study of over 350,000 people across Europe, published today in the New En ...
Strict Mediterranean diet can help reduce deaths from major chronic diseases
Sep 12, 2008 |
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Sticking to a full Mediterranean diet provides substantial protection against major chronic diseases including heart disease, cancer and Parkinson's and Alzheimer's disease, according to a study published on bmj.com today.
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