Individually, cardiovascular disease (CVD), diabetes and chronic
kidney disease (CKD) are serious illnesses that contribute
significantly to deaths and levels of ill health in the Australian
population. When they occur together, the negative effects on
health status and health services go beyond the sum of the effects
of each single disease.
A new report released today by the Australian Institute of
Health and Welfare (AIHW) is the first of its kind to examine in
depth, the number of people in Australia with two or more of these
conditions and to quantify associated rates of hospitalisation and
mortality.
The report, Comorbidity of cardiovascular disease, diabetes
and chronic kidney disease in Australia, found that an
estimated 26% of adults living in the community have either
cardiovascular disease (CVD) or diabetes. About 1% of people under
the age of 45, and about 10% of people 65 and older, have both
diseases.
'Among people with diabetes, it is estimated that 60% to 70% had
at least one form of CVD and that cardiovascular disease was a
contributing factor in over 65% of hospitalisations and nearly 84%
of deaths, ' said Lynelle Moon, Head of the Institute's
Cardiovascular Disease and Diabetes Unit.
Among people in hospital with chronic kidney disease (not
counting day-stay hospital admissions for dialysis) nearly 70% had
at least one form of CVD recorded. CVD also contributed to about
76% of deaths among people with chronic kidney disease.
Concurrent conditions of two or three of these diseases were
recorded as causes of death for 17,239 (13.2%) people who died in
2004.
In total, 62% of deaths in 2004 were associated with at least
one of these conditions.
Comorbidity of CVD, diabetes and chronic kidney disease is
mainly caused by complex interrelationships between these
conditions and shared risk factors such as physical inactivity,
poor nutrition and obesity.
'Because of these associations, there is the potential to reduce
the associated burden by controlling common risk factors and
improving disease management, Ms Moon said.
As these comorbidities mainly affect older people, the number of
people with multiple chronic conditions is expected to increase as
the Australian population ages.
An increase in the number of people with comorbidity naturally
is likely to increase the demands on health services, including
greater use of services, more visits to doctors, longer
consultation times, more hospital admissions and longer stays.
The report is the first in a planned series that will examine
other characteristics of these comorbidities.
9 August 2007
Further information: Ms Lynelle Moon, AIHW,
tel. 02 6244 1235 or mob. 0418 271 395
For media copies of the report: Publications
Officer, AIHW, tel. 61 2 6244 1032.
Availability: Check the AIHW Publications
Catalogue for availability of Comorbidity of
cardiovascular disease, diabetes and chronic kidney disease in
Australia.