No one dies in good health, at the least in their final moments. However, it’s an oversimplification to think that causes of death might be easily counted or that there may be one reason why someone dies.
In fact, in 2022, 4 in five Australians had multiple conditions on their death certificate, and almost 1 / 4 had five or more conditions. This is certainly one of many key findings from the study a latest report from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW).
The report distinguishes three kinds of causes of death – primary, direct and causal. The underlying cause is a condition that initiates the chain of events resulting in death, resembling coronary heart disease. The immediate reason behind death is what an individual died from (not from), resembling a heart attack. Contributory causes are aspects that contributed significantly to the chain of events resulting in death but are indirectly involved, resembling hypertension. The report also tracked how these three kinds of causes may overlap in multi-cause deaths.
In 2022, the five diseases causing probably the most deaths in Australia are coronary heart disease (20% of deaths), dementia (18%), hypertension or hypertension (12%), cerebrovascular diseases resembling stroke (11.5%). and diabetes (11.4%).
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When the underlying reason behind death was examined, the list was similar (coronary heart disease 10%, dementia 9%, cerebrovascular disease 5%, then Covid and lung cancer, each 5%). This implies that coronary heart disease was not only lurking in the intervening time of death, but was also its major cause.
However, the direct reason behind death was most frequently lower respiratory tract disease (8%), cardiac or respiratory arrest (6.5%), sepsis (6%), pneumonia or pneumonia (4%), or hypertension (4%).
Why is that this essential?
Without considering all causes of death, the role of essential aspects resembling coronary heart disease, sepsis, depression, hypertension and alcohol consumption could also be underestimated.
More importantly, the varied causes highlight areas where we should always concentrate on public health prevention. The report also helps us understand which groups to concentrate on for prevention and health care. For example, probably the most common reason behind death in women was dementia, while in men it was coronary heart disease.
People under the age of 55 died most frequently because of this of external events, resembling accidents and violence, while older people died from chronic diseases.
We cannot prevent death, but we are able to prevent many diseases and injuries. This report highlights that lots of these causes of death for each younger and older Australians are preventable. The five most typical fatal diseases (coronary heart disease, dementia, hypertension, cerebrovascular disease, and diabetes) share common risk aspects, resembling smoking, high cholesterol, poor nutrition, physical inactivity, or are risk aspects themselves. resembling hypertension or diabetes.
Smoking, hypertension, being chubby or obese and having a poor food plan combined for 44% of all deaths included in this report. This suggests that a comprehensive approach to health promotion, disease prevention and management is required.
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This should include strategies and programs to encourage people to eat a healthy food plan, engage in regular physical activity, reduce or eliminate alcohol consumption, give up smoking and have regular health screenings, e.g. Heart health checks. Programs targeting accident prevention, mental health and violence, especially gender-based violence, will address the premature deaths of young people.