All cardiovascular disease
Based on data from the 2007–08 National Health Survey, an estimated 17% of the Australian population (3.4 million people) had a cardiovascular disease (CVD), with the prevalence similar in males (15%) and females (17%). This increased seven-fold from 10% of those aged 35–44 years to 70% of those aged 85 years or over.
Coronary heart disease
Heart attack
There are no national data sources for measuring incidence of coronary heart disease. However, the number of major coronary events can be estimated from the number of deaths from heart attacks plus the number of non-fatal hospitalisations. It includes both first and subsequent events.
An estimated 47,700 people aged 40–90 years had a heart attack in 2009.
After adjusting for age, men were twice as likely as women to have a heart attack (642 compared with 304 per 100,000 people).
Coronary heart disease (CHD)
In 2007–08, an estimated 3% of the Australian population had CHD (around 685,000 people).
The age-adjusted proportion of males with CHD was twice that of females.
CHD affected males at younger ages than females with a sharp increase in prevalence from the age of 45–54 years in men compared to 65–74 years for women.
Stroke
Based on the 2009 Survey of Disability, Ageing and Carers approximately 1.8% of the population (376,000 people) had suffered a stroke at some time in their lives.
In 2009, the prevalence of stroke in males was almost 50% higher than for females. Significant differences in the prevalence of stroke between men and women were found between the ages of 65 and 84 years.
The prevalence of stroke increased sharply from around the age of 65–74 years for men and 75–84 years for women.
Acute rheumatic fever and rheumatic heart disease
Acute rheumatic fever and rheumatic heart disease is more common in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
Based on data from the 2004–05 National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Survey (NATSIHS), around 0.7% of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population (3,500 people) had rheumatic heart disease (RHD).
Until recently, the Northern Territory was the only jurisdiction with a dedicated centralised RHD register. Western Australia and Queensland have recently established RHD registers but these do not currently cover the whole state.
Between 2005 and 2009, 259 cases of acute rheumatic fever were recorded on the Northern Territory's RHD Register. The great majority of these cases were for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. Most cases were new episodes of acute rheumatic fever (199), while the remaining 60 were recurrent episodes.
In 2009, there were 1,480 live cases of RHD recorded on the Northern Territory register: 969 females and 511 males
It was a relatively rare condition among other Australians in the NT before the age of 45 years but was more common among older people aged 65 or over; whereas prevalence rates were high at all ages in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
Congenital heart diseases
Ventricular septal defect is the most common form of congenital heart disease.
Among babies born in 2003 (excluding those born in the NT) the most commonly reported congenital heart conditions included: