Coronary heart disease played a role in the deaths of almost 40,000 Australians in 2022, more than any other cause.
According to a new report by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW), the condition contributed to 20 per cent of all fatalities – a total of 38,273 – although it also said multiple causes were at play in four out of every five deaths.
"Understanding what Australians die from is complex and the answer can vary, depending on how we assess the conditions involved," AIHW spokesperson Michelle Gourley said.
While coronary heart disease was involved in the most deaths, dementia was not far behind at 18.3 per cent, followed by high blood pressure (12.5 per cent), cerebrovascular diseases (11.5 per cent) and diabetes (11.4 per cent).
Lower respiratory infections, (8 per cent), cardiac/respiratory arrest (7 per cent) and sepsis (6 per cent) were the most common "direct" causes – the factors that ultimately ended someone's life.
The report looked at all factors listed on death certificates, not just the underlying cause.
"Traditionally, statistics about how people die are based primarily on the initiating or 'underlying' cause of death, but death certificates also contain other information that can be useful in understanding why a death occurred," Gourley said.
"For example, while the underlying cause of death for a person might be coronary heart disease, the death certificate might also record the health condition that led directly to death, such as acute myocardial infarction (heart attack).
"Other conditions that significantly contributed to the death such as hypertension, diabetes, alcohol use disorders, COVID-19 and other contextual factors may also be recorded on the death certificate."
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Gourley said the report will help inform healthcare strategies designed to improve Australians' quality of life.
"Using different ways of looking at causes of death can enhance our understanding of the roles played by different diseases and conditions in a person's health and in their death," she said.
"This can lead to a better awareness of what health conditions have the biggest impact on the community and can aid health services and decision-makers in relation to developing strategies and interventions to reduce the impact of diseases and promote better health."
