Burden of cardiovascular disease
Page highlights
In 2024, cardiovascular disease accounted for almost 12% of the total burden of disease (14% males, 10% females), ranking fourth as a disease group behind cancer, mental and substance use disorders and musculoskeletal conditions.
Coronary heart disease was the leading single cause of burden for males, and sixth leading single cause for females in 2024.
The leading risk factor contributing to the total cardiovascular disease burden in 2024 was high blood pressure (36%).
In 2024, Australians lost an estimated 685,000 years of healthy life (disability‑adjusted life years (DALYs)) due to all forms of cardiovascular disease (CVD), equivalent to 25 per 1,000 population.
CVD as a disease group accounted for almost 12% of the total burden of disease (14% males, 10% females), ranking fourth behind cancer, mental and substance use disorders and musculoskeletal conditions (Figure 1).
Most of the burden from CVD (75%) came from years of life lost to premature death (YLL), with the remainder (25%) from years lived with illness and injury (YLD) (AIHW 2024).
Figure 1: Cardiovascular disease and other burden of disease groups, 2024
This figure shows that in 2024, around half of the total burden of cardiovascular disease was due to coronary heart disease.
Age and sex
In 2024, the burden from CVD:
- for males was 1.9 times as high as for females, after adjusting for age differences in the populations
- was higher for males than females at all ages
- was low in childhood and increased with age (Figure 2).
Figure 2: Burden of disease for cardiovascular disease, by age and sex, 2024
This bar chart shows that in 2024, the total burden of disease for cardiovascular diseases increased with increasing age.
| Age group (years) | Males | Females | Persons |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 5.4 | 3.6 | 4.5 |
| 1–4 | 0.8 | 0.7 | 0.7 |
| 5–9 | 0.3 | 0.3 | 0.3 |
| 10–14 | 0.4 | 0.3 | 0.4 |
| 15–19 | 0.9 | 0.8 | 0.9 |
| 20–24 | 1.5 | 1 | 1.3 |
| 25–29 | 2.5 | 1.3 | 1.9 |
| 30–34 | 4.2 | 2.2 | 3.2 |
| 35–39 | 7.5 | 3.5 | 5.5 |
| 40–44 | 12.3 | 5.4 | 8.8 |
| 45–49 | 19.9 | 7.7 | 13.7 |
| 50–54 | 27.7 | 10.5 | 19 |
| 55–59 | 37.9 | 13.1 | 25.3 |
| 60–64 | 49.6 | 18.5 | 33.6 |
| 65–69 | 65.5 | 27.5 | 45.7 |
| 70–74 | 89.7 | 44.4 | 66 |
| 75–79 | 126.8 | 75 | 99.7 |
| 80–84 | 184.6 | 124.3 | 152.3 |
| 85–89 | 263.6 | 198.5 | 226.4 |
| 90–94 | 349 | 283.8 | 308.4 |
| 95–99 | 440.8 | 365.3 | 389.7 |
| 100+ | 596.4 | 513.6 | 533.4 |
Source:
AIHW Australian Burden of Disease Database.
Variation by priority population groups
In 2018, after adjusting for age differences in the populations, the burden from CVD:
- for people living in the lowest socioeconomic areas was 1.8 times as high as for the highest socioeconomic areas – 42% of DALY in the lowest socioeconomic areas could have been avoided if the burden was the same as the highest areas (AIHW 2021)
- in Remote and very remote areas was 1.9 times as high as in Major cities – 49% of DALY in Remote and very remote areas could have been avoided if the burden was the same as in Major cities.
Trends
- The rate of burden from CVD fell by 47% between 2003 and 2024 – after adjusting for age.
- The fall in the rate of burden from CHD between 2003 and 2024 (58%) was similar to the fall in the rate of burden from stroke (54%) (AIHW 2024).
Leading causes
Leading causes contributing to the CVD burden of disease in 2024 include:
- Coronary heart disease (CHD) was the leading single cause of burden for males, and sixth leading cause for females (Figure 3), accounting for 5.5% of the total burden (7.2% for males and 3.6% for females). 317,000 years of healthy life were lost due to CHD in 2024.
- Stroke ranked 12th in the leading diseases causing burden, accounting for 2.2% of total burden (2.1% males, 2.2% females). 125,000 years of healthy life were lost due to stroke in 2024.
- Atrial fibrillation (AF) accounted for 1.2% of total burden (1.3% for males, 1.2% for females). 25% of the burden from AF in males and 35% in females was due to premature death (YLL).
- Congenital heart disease is a leading cause of burden of disease among infants aged under one year, contributing 7.5% in 2024.
Figure 3: Leading causes of total burden of disease, by age group and sex, 2024 (‘000 DALY, % age group)
This figure shows that in 2024, the leading cause of total burden of disease was coronary heart disease for men aged 45–84.
Contribution of risk factors
A portion of burden of disease is preventable, being due to modifiable health risk factors. The Australian Burden of Disease Study 2024 has estimated the disease burden which can be attributed to these modifiable risk factors (AIHW 2024).
Of the total burden of CVD in Australia in 2024, 65% was attributable to the risk factors included in the study.
The leading risk factors contributing to the total CVD burden in 2024 include high blood pressure (36%), dietary risks (32%), high cholesterol (30%), overweight (including obesity) (28%), physical inactivity (12%) and tobacco use (10%) (Figure 4).
Note that as each risk factor was analysed separately, percentages cannot be added together, and do not add up to the joint effect of all risk factors.
Figure 4: Proportion of cardiovascular disease DALY attributed to selected risk factors, 2024
This figure shows that in 2024, the leading risk factor contributing to the total cardiovascular disease burden was high blood pressure (36%).
Estimations of the contribution of risk factors varied across cardiovascular conditions (AIHW 2024):
- Coronary heart disease – air pollution 9.0%, alcohol use 3.5%, dietary risks 50%, high blood plasma glucose 6.5%, high blood pressure 40%, high cholesterol 36%, impaired kidney function 6.8%, overweight and obesity 28%, physical inactivity 14%, tobacco use 11%.
- Stroke – air pollution 8.9%, alcohol use 5.7%, dietary risks 25%, high blood plasma glucose 5.9%, high blood pressure 37%, high cholesterol 15%, impaired kidney function 6.7%, overweight and obesity 23%, physical inactivity 7.8%, tobacco use 9.4%.
- Atrial fibrillation – alcohol use 9.6%, dietary risks 5.9%, high blood pressure 29%, overweight and obesity 30%, tobacco use 6.8%.
AIHW (Australian Institute of Health and Welfare) (2021) Australian Burden of Disease Study 2018 – Key findings, AIHW, Australian Government, accessed 12 September 2024.
AIHW (2024) Australian Burden of Disease Study 2024, AIHW, Australian Government, accessed 12 December 2024.