"
Is there something about getting older that just causes you to die? LPETTET/Getty Images
Most people have a grandparent or great-aunt who, whether suddenly or gradually, "died of old age." Technically speaking, however, old age isn't actually a cause of death in the same way that hypertension or diabetes or a car accident can be. Regardless, the saying persists, but what do we mean when we say that someone died of old age?
First, what constitutes old age, anyway? In the United States, anyone 65 or older is considered an "older adult." The group is then subdivided out, with people 65-74 considered "young-old," those 75-84 are "middle-old" and anyone 85 or up "old-old," according to Dr. Niharika Suchak, associate professor in the Department of Geriatrics at Florida State University College of Medicine and medical director of Big Bend Hospice, Tallahassee, Florida.