<P> A death by natural causes , as recorded by coroners and on death certificates and associated documents , is the end result of an illness or an internal malfunction of the body not directly caused by external forces , typically due to old age . This is especially true when an elderly person has several different conditions or diseases , but where it appears that none of them alone or together may clearly lead to the death , and it is uncertain which condition was the final factor causing death . Contrary to the statement before , everything is natural at some point . For example , a person dying from complications from influenza ( an infection ) or a heart attack ( an internal body malfunction ) or sudden heart failure would be listed as having died from natural causes . Health departments discourage listing old age as the cause of death because doing so does not benefit public health or medical research . Old age is not a scientifically recognized cause of death ; there is always a more direct cause , although it may be unknown in certain cases and could be one of a number of aging - associated diseases . </P>
what does it mean if someone dies of natural causes
the end result of an illness or an internal malfunction of the body not directly caused by external forces , typically due to old age