What does it mean when ppl say someone died of "natural causes" or "old age"

[Frump]

I've always wondered what it means exactly when someone says that someone simply died of NATURAL CAUSES or of OLD AGE?

I mean technically wouldn't there HAVE to be a specific, direct cause?
Such as heart failure, kidney failure, or something like that.

[Vahan]

I sometimes find myself questioning the former.

I remember when Conservative blogger, Andrew Breitbart, died almost exactly a year ago at 43 years of age, the initial news reports said that he died suddenly from "natural causes". They made it out to seem like he was perfectly healthy, but then died anyways for no reason. They had no idea that he had heart problems for years.

[Marvo301]

I think it means they didn't die from a specific disease (i.e. Cancer) their body just stopped functioning. Usually it's either the heart or the kidneys that cease functioning and leads to death.

[Coffeecup]

When I hear someone who say 90+ died of old age, it sounds so peaceful.
Natural causes, I tend to think, no drugs or alcohol poisoning. So they died of either cancer, heart disease, or complications of several ailments. In the end, the heart just stops.

[Frump]

Originally Posted by Coffeecup

When I hear someone who say 90+ died of old age, it sounds so peaceful.
Natural causes, I tend to think, no drugs or alcohol poisoning. So they died of either cancer, heart disease, or complications of several ailments. In the end, the heart just stops.

It looks like they could say that though, heart failure, or whatever.

I used to think that 90+ dying of old age sounds peaceful, BUT I think when or IF I get that old it will still be kinda scary. My grandpa used to say if he lived to be 60 or 70 he would be satisphied, grateful and be ready to die being grateful for his long life, BUT after he actually got to be that old and older he said it doesn't work that way, he said you STILL have the same desire and WILL to LIVE, no matter what age you get.

Another thing I don't understand is how ppl die of alzeimers, I mean I know it can leave you really bad mentally, but what about it actually KILLS you.


Ahh, but you gotta love technology, we can put a man on the moon, make a cell phone the size of a pea that does a million different things, make a computer so sophisticated it practically can respond to THOUGHT WAVES, but we can't even somewhat do away with alzeimers, and other old age illnesses.

[The Flying Dutchmans]

When I was a kid I used to think that natural causes meant someone died in a Tornado or Hurricane or even an Earthquake. Like a cause of nature. But found out as I got older that it meant of old age.