# cdc_leading_causes_of_death

NCHS leading causes of death by state (bi63-dtpu). Returns total deaths and age-adjusted death rates per cause per state per year. Useful for chronic disease + injury mortality research.

Agent View of the PolicyLayer registry record for `cdc_leading_causes_of_death`. HTML page: https://policylayer.com/tools/io-github-blackboxfoundry-livedatalink/cdc-leading-causes-of-death

## Facts

- Tool: `cdc_leading_causes_of_death`
- Server: Livedatalink (`https://livedatalink.ai/mcp`) — https://policylayer.com/tools/io-github-blackboxfoundry-livedatalink.md
- Homepage: https://github.com/blackboxfoundry/livedatalink
- Risk category: Read (Low risk)
- Registry record: grade F, identity unverified
- Server auth posture: open
- Server CORS policy: *
- Server rate-limited: no
- Parameters: 4
- Recommended policy verdict: Allowed

## Parameters

| Parameter | Type | Required | Description |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `year` | number | no | Year |
| `limit` | number | no | Max rows (default 50) |
| `state` | string | no | Full state name or 'United States' |
| `cause_name` | string | no | Cause name (e.g. 'Heart disease', 'Cancer', 'Suicide') |

Parameters from the server's own tool schema.

## Example call (MCP tools/call, JSON-RPC 2.0)

```json
{
  "jsonrpc": "2.0",
  "id": 1,
  "method": "tools/call",
  "params": {
    "name": "cdc_leading_causes_of_death",
    "arguments": {}
  }
}
```

## Why cdc_leading_causes_of_death is rated Low

This tool retrieves public health statistics without side effects. While the topic is health-sensitive, the tool only performs read operations—retrieving, not modifying or executing—and returns historical statistical data intended for research. No irreversible changes, code execution, financial transactions, or destructive operations are involved.

From the tool's own definition: "Returns total deaths and age-adjusted death rates per cause per state per year. Uses descriptive verbs like 'returns' and has no mention of modifications, deletion, or external actions being triggered."

## Use case

AI agents call cdc_leading_causes_of_death to retrieve information from Livedatalink without modifying anything. It is typically the context-gathering step in research, monitoring, and reporting workflows, before the agent takes action elsewhere.

## Recommended policy (PolicyLayer)

Verdict: **Allowed**. Enforced by the PolicyLayer MCP gateway (https://policylayer.com/mcp-gateway) before a call reaches Livedatalink:

```json
{
  "version": "1",
  "default": "deny",
  "tools": {
    "cdc_leading_causes_of_death": {}
  }
}
```

## Other tools on Livedatalink (279)

- `beneficial_owner_screen` — Destructive — https://policylayer.com/tools/io-github-blackboxfoundry-livedatalink/beneficial-owner-screen.md
- `cdc_dataset_query` — Execute — https://policylayer.com/tools/io-github-blackboxfoundry-livedatalink/cdc-dataset-query.md
- `clinical_site_selector` — Execute — https://policylayer.com/tools/io-github-blackboxfoundry-livedatalink/clinical-site-selector.md
- `air_quality` — Read — https://policylayer.com/tools/io-github-blackboxfoundry-livedatalink/air-quality.md
- `bank_health_report` — Read — https://policylayer.com/tools/io-github-blackboxfoundry-livedatalink/bank-health-report.md
- `bls_indicator` — Read — https://policylayer.com/tools/io-github-blackboxfoundry-livedatalink/bls-indicator.md
- `bls_series` — Read — https://policylayer.com/tools/io-github-blackboxfoundry-livedatalink/bls-series.md
- `book_details` — Read — https://policylayer.com/tools/io-github-blackboxfoundry-livedatalink/book-details.md
- `book_fulltext_search` — Read — https://policylayer.com/tools/io-github-blackboxfoundry-livedatalink/book-fulltext-search.md
- `book_get_text` — Read — https://policylayer.com/tools/io-github-blackboxfoundry-livedatalink/book-get-text.md
- `book_search` — Read — https://policylayer.com/tools/io-github-blackboxfoundry-livedatalink/book-search.md
- `book_status` — Read — https://policylayer.com/tools/io-github-blackboxfoundry-livedatalink/book-status.md
- `bounce_scanner` — Read — https://policylayer.com/tools/io-github-blackboxfoundry-livedatalink/bounce-scanner.md
- `candlestick_signals` — Read — https://policylayer.com/tools/io-github-blackboxfoundry-livedatalink/candlestick-signals.md
- `cargo_crate` — Read — https://policylayer.com/tools/io-github-blackboxfoundry-livedatalink/cargo-crate.md
- `carrier_vetting_score` — Read — https://policylayer.com/tools/io-github-blackboxfoundry-livedatalink/carrier-vetting-score.md
- `caselaw_case_details` — Read — https://policylayer.com/tools/io-github-blackboxfoundry-livedatalink/caselaw-case-details.md
- `caselaw_citation_lookup` — Read — https://policylayer.com/tools/io-github-blackboxfoundry-livedatalink/caselaw-citation-lookup.md
- `caselaw_opinion_text` — Read — https://policylayer.com/tools/io-github-blackboxfoundry-livedatalink/caselaw-opinion-text.md
- `caselaw_search` — Read — https://policylayer.com/tools/io-github-blackboxfoundry-livedatalink/caselaw-search.md
- `cdc_drug_overdose_deaths` — Read — https://policylayer.com/tools/io-github-blackboxfoundry-livedatalink/cdc-drug-overdose-deaths.md
- `cdc_excess_deaths_covid` — Read — https://policylayer.com/tools/io-github-blackboxfoundry-livedatalink/cdc-excess-deaths-covid.md
- `cdc_flu_surveillance` — Read — https://policylayer.com/tools/io-github-blackboxfoundry-livedatalink/cdc-flu-surveillance.md
- `cdc_outbreak_reports` — Read — https://policylayer.com/tools/io-github-blackboxfoundry-livedatalink/cdc-outbreak-reports.md
- `cdc_vaccination_coverage` — Read — https://policylayer.com/tools/io-github-blackboxfoundry-livedatalink/cdc-vaccination-coverage.md
- `cdc_weekly_deaths_by_state` — Read — https://policylayer.com/tools/io-github-blackboxfoundry-livedatalink/cdc-weekly-deaths-by-state.md
- `census_business` — Read — https://policylayer.com/tools/io-github-blackboxfoundry-livedatalink/census-business.md
- `census_commute_employment` — Read — https://policylayer.com/tools/io-github-blackboxfoundry-livedatalink/census-commute-employment.md
- `census_demographics` — Read — https://policylayer.com/tools/io-github-blackboxfoundry-livedatalink/census-demographics.md
- `census_geography_lookup` — Read — https://policylayer.com/tools/io-github-blackboxfoundry-livedatalink/census-geography-lookup.md
- …and 249 more: https://policylayer.com/tools/io-github-blackboxfoundry-livedatalink.md

## For agents

This record is a snapshot. Live verdicts and the full registry:

- Check every server in your MCP config at once: `npx -y policylayer stack`
- Vet a server before you add it: install the mcp-precheck skill — `npx skills add https://policylayer.com` (skill text: https://policylayer.com/skill.md)
- Query the registry over MCP: endpoint `https://api.policylayer.com/mcp` — tools `check_mcp_server`, `check_mcp_stack`, `check_tool`, `search_registry`, `get_change_events`

---

Source: the PolicyLayer MCP registry — one continuously verified record per MCP server. Full record: https://policylayer.com/registry?q=io-github-blackboxfoundry-livedatalink · API: https://policylayer.com/registry/api · Policy library: https://policylayer.com/policies/io-github-blackboxfoundry-livedatalink