Using all the knowledge included on the medical death certificate, one in five deaths in 2022 was attributable to coronary heart disease (CHD), in line with a brand new publication from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) that highlights what Australians are most definitely to die from.
highlights essentially the most common causes of the 191,000 recorded deaths in Australia in 2022. It uses all health conditions recorded on the death certificate to offer recent insights into the health conditions that cause and contribute to an individual’s death, highlighting the interplay of multiple diseases and the role each plays. Risk aspects and psychosocial contexts related to death are also examined.
“Understanding what Australians are dying from is complex and the reply may vary depending on how we assess the particular conditions,” AIHW spokeswoman Michelle Gourley said.
“Traditionally, statistics on how people die have been based totally on the initial or ‘underlying’ reason for death, but death certificates also contain other information that will be helpful in understanding the reason for death.”
“For instance, an individual’s underlying reason for death is perhaps coronary heart disease, however the death certificate may additionally note the medical condition that directly led to death, resembling acute myocardial infarction (heart attack). Other medical conditions that significantly contributed to death, resembling hypertension, diabetes, alcohol abuse, COVID-19, and other contextual aspects, may additionally be noted on the death certificate.”
The report shows that 4 out of 5 deaths had multiple cause and almost 1 / 4 of deaths had five or more causes.
Although coronary heart disease was the leading reason for death amongst Australians in 2022 (accounting for 1 in 10 deaths), it was involved in much more deaths (1 in 5) when all death certificate details are taken under consideration. Dementia (18%), hypertension (12%), cerebrovascular disease and diabetes (each 11%) were other common causes of death.
The leading causes of death are inclined to be chronic diseases and health conditions related to risk aspects. These include hypertension (8%), diabetes (7%) and heart defects (6%). Substance use disorders resembling alcohol (2.0%), tobacco use (1.3%) and other drugs (1.6%) were more common in men, while dementia (7%) and musculoskeletal disorders resembling osteoporosis (1.9%) and osteoarthritis (1.5%) were more common in women.
Essentially the most common causes of death (ultimately resulting in an individual’s death) were lower respiratory tract infections (8%), cardiac/respiratory arrest (7%), and sepsis (6%).
Causes of death in Australia vary widely by age. For people aged 15-54, external causes resembling suicide, road traffic accidents and accidental poisoning were essentially the most common causes of death. Associated complications (e.g. asphyxiation, toxic effects of drugs and medicines) were reflected in essentially the most common causes of death. Substance use disorders, depressive disorders and psychosocial aspects (resembling history of self-harm, problems with partner and support aspects) were essentially the most common causes of death in these age groups.
Amongst people aged 55 and over, chronic diseases resembling coronary heart disease, dementia and cancer were essentially the most common causes of death. Causes of death reflected complications of those chronic diseases (resembling infections, cardiac arrest and respiratory failure) and other conditions that occur in the ultimate stages of life (resembling frailty). Diabetes, hypertension, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and dementia were common causes of death in these older age groups.
Using alternative ways of causes of death can improve our understanding of the role that different diseases and conditions play in an individual’s health and death. This will result in greater awareness of which health conditions have the best impact on the community and might assist health services and decision-makers in developing policies and interventions to cut back the impact of disease and promote higher health.”
Michelle Gourley, spokesperson for AIHW
