CANBERRA, June 7 (Xinhua) -- Heart disease was a factor in 20 percent of Australian deaths in 2022, government data has revealed.
The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) on Thursday published a new report analyzing the most common causes of the 191,000 registered deaths in Australia in 2022.
It found that coronary heart disease (CHD) was listed as a factor on 20 percent of death certificates in 2022 and as the initiating or underlying cause of death in 10 percent of cases.
The report found that 80 percent of deaths in 2022 involved more than one cause and almost one quarter had five or more recorded causes.
Dementia - listed as a factor on 18 percent of death certificates - was the second most common condition involved in deaths followed by hypertension, cerebrovascular diseases and diabetes.
"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," AIHW spokesperson Michelle Gourley said in a media release.
"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."
Alcohol was listed as a contributing factor to death for 2 percent of Australian males who died in 2022 and other drugs for 1.6 percent.
Suicide, road traffic injuries and accidental poisoning were common underlying causes of death among Australians aged 15 to 54. For those aged 55 and over, CHD, dementia and cancer were more common. ■
