Death rate in the U.S. and Soviet Union 1970-1988, per cause of death

Between 1970 and 1988, major cardiovascular diseases were the most common cause of death in both the United States and Soviet Union. However, the death rate in the U.S. fell between the given years, whereas the USSR's rate increased significantly, especially during the 1970s. Malignancies (i.e. cancers) were the second most common cause of death, with both death rates rising over time. Other causes that that varied greatly between the two countries were accidents and adverse effects, where the USSR's rate was almost double that of the U.S. in 1980; pulmonary diseases, where the U.S. rate was higher in 1988 despite having been four times lower in 1970; and diabetes, where the U.S. rate was higher by a factor of 11 in 1970 and a factor of four in 1988.

There were, of course, variations between the two countries in their standards of diagnosis and the classification of causes of death, with U.S. records generally thought to be more accurate, whereas the USSR's rates improved with time. The Soviet Union also did not provide separate data for deaths caused by liver disease or pneumonia/influenza, possibly due to the rise and prevalence of alcohol-related deaths during the given period, which the government wished to downplay. Preventable deaths related to alcohol and substance abuse (including tobacco) were major factors in the Soviet Union's high death rates in certain categories, such as accidental deaths, pulmonary disease, and suicides. In contrast, the U.S.' higher rate of diabetes deaths has been attribute to an increase in levels of Type 2 diabetes, which is most-commonly caused by lifestyle and dietary factors.