Heart disease and stroke top the list as the leading causes of
the burden of disease for men and women in Australia-accounting for
almost 18% of the total, while depression and diabetes rank within
the top 10.
These facts and more can be found in the Australian Institute of
Health and Welfare's first detailed assessment of the impact of
disease and injury - The Burden of Disease and Injury in
Australia - launched by Ms Liz Furler, First Assistant
Secretary of the Health Services Division, Commonwealth Department
of Health and Aged Care, at the International Burden of Disease
Network meeting in Lorne, Victoria.
The report found that chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and
lung cancer (both smoking related diseases) are the third and fifth
leading causes of disease burden, accounting for another 7.3% of
the total. Depression is ranked fourth (4%) and diabetes seventh
(3%), but if other conditions attributable to diabetes and
depression are added in both are ranked equal third (5%).
AIHW's Principal Research Fellow, Dr Colin Mathers, said that
the disability burden in Australia is dominated by mental
disorders. 'Depression is the leading cause of non-fatal disease
burden in Australia,' Dr Mathers said. 'Hearing loss and alcohol
dependence and harmful use are the second and third leading
contributors for men; dementia and osteoarthritis are among the
leading contributors for women.'
'Tobacco smoking causes 12% of the total burden of disease in
men and 7% in women. The burden of smoking-related disease is
rising in Australian women. Physical inactivity is also responsible
for about 7% of the total burden of disease, and hypertension over
5%.'
The report adapted methodology developed by the World Bank's
Global Burden of Disease Study in order to measure the mortality,
disability, impairment, illness and injury arising from 176
diseases and injuries and 10 risk factors using a common metric,
the disability-adjusted life year or DALY.
Other findings from The Burden of Disease and Injury in
Australia include:
- Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of overall burden
of disease and injury in Australia (20% of the total), followed by
cancers (19%) and mental disorders (14%).
- The burden of disease is 13% higher for men than for
women.
- For Australians aged 15-24 years: road traffic accidents,
alcohol abuse and suicide are the leading causes of disease and
injury burden for males; while depression and manic depression are
the leading causes for females (21% of the total burden). Heroin is
the fifth leading cause for males (7%) and the sixth for females
(5%).
- Coronary heart disease is the leading cause of disease burden
in men aged 25-64 years (12% of the total); while depression and
breast cancer are the leading causes for women (8% each) in the
same age group.
16 November 1999
Further information: Dr Colin Mathers, ph. 04
0792 8523 (mobile), and Mr Chris Stevenson, ph. 02 6244 1041.
For media copies of the report: Publications
Officer, ph. 02 6244 1032.
Availability: Check the AIHW Publications
Catalogue (full or
summary report)
for details.