Heart disease and dementia remain banes of Australian health

Australians are living longer, but ischaemic heart disease continues to be the country’s main cause of premature death, with dementia not far behind.
 
That is according to findings from the latest Global Burden of Disease 2023 (GBD) study, published on Monday in The Lancet and presented at the World Health Summit in Berlin.
 
The study reveals that ischaemic heart disease has remained Australia’s leading cause of premature death since 1990, despite global mortality rates declining for many leading causes of death, including ischaemic heart disease, over the past three decades.
 
However, it also found life expectancy in Australia has increased over the past 30 years. As of 2023, women can expect to live to the age of 86, six years longer than in 1990, and men to 84, eight years more than 1990.
 
More broadly, the study reports that causes of death globally have shifted from infectious to non-communicable diseases (NCDs), with two out of three deaths now due to NCDs, and nearly half of all death and disability preventable by addressing risks such as high BMI and blood sugar levels.

It also reports that burden of mental ill health ‘continues to surge globally’, with anxiety and depression increasing death and disability by 63% and 26% respectively.
 
A senior collaborator for the GBD study, Professor Aziz Rahman, has called for a prioritisation of primary prevention in Australia to address ischaemic heart disease, with measures including improving health literacy and access to cardiovascular risk assessment tools, particularly for disadvantaged populations.
 
‘It is essential to prioritise primary prevention by tackling modifiable risk factors such as tobacco use, unhealthy diets, and lifestyle choices,’ said Professor Rahman, Associate Dean of Research from the Institute of Health and Wellbeing at Federation University.
 
‘Elevating health literacy is crucial, with a focus on recognising symptoms and understanding individual risk factors.
 
‘Additionally, we must enhance access to cardiovascular risk assessment tools, particularly for disadvantaged groups, including First Nations people, culturally and linguistically diverse populations, and those residing in rural areas.’
 
The Head of Public Health in the College of Medicine and Public Health at Flinders University, Professor Richard Edwards, said the Australian findings reflect the ‘rapidly increasing health burdens from NCDs’ globally.
 
He said they also highlight the ‘enormous potential health gains’ from introducing policies such as sugary drink taxes and de-nicotinising tobacco products.
 
‘What better time for Australia to show leadership and provide inspiration by introducing the pioneering public health policy measures to prevent NCDs, which the findings from the GBD study surely demand?,’ Professor Edwards said.
 
The increased prevalence of dementia, specifically Alzheimer’s disease, in Australia compared to global figures is another key finding of concern in the study.
 
While Alzheimer’s is the sixth leading cause of death globally, in Australia it ranks second, making it a ‘significant area for attention’ in both awareness campaigns and primary care settings, said Professor Rahman.
 
‘It is vital to raise awareness through dementia risk reduction campaigns that address lifestyle factors,’ he said.
 
‘Simultaneously, integrating dementia risk assessments into primary care settings and promoting early diagnosis can help alleviate the burden of this condition.’

CEO of the Public Health Association of Australia, Terry Slevin, said the shift in global causes of death from infectious diseases to NCDs is ‘stark’.
 
‘Future improvements to our longevity, or just to allow us to live more of our years in good health, will rely on action to prevent NCDs,’ he said. 
 
The GBD study is compiled by thousands of scientists, drawing on more than 310,000 data sources. 
 
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Alzheimer’s burden of disease dementia ischaemic heart disease ischemic modifiable risk factors non-communicable diseases primary care