Canberra: Dementia is on the verge of overtaking heart disease as the leading cause of death in Australia for the first time, according to official data. The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) released figures on Thursday revealing that in 2023, ischaemic heart disease, also known as coronary heart disease, accounted for 9.2 percent of deaths in the country, while dementia was responsible for 9.1 percent, as per IANS.
Lauren Moran, head of mortality statistics at the ABS, stated that the decline in heart disease mortality and the rise in dementia-related deaths can be attributed to advancements in medical treatments and healthcare, alongside the effects of an ageing population.
At its peak in 1968, ischaemic heart disease was responsible for 30.5 percent of Australian deaths. However, over the past 50 years, the mortality rate for heart disease has dropped by 87.9 percent, while dementia deaths have surged by 842.8 percent, according to IANS.
"The latest figures show that fewer than 250 deaths separate the two leading causes," Moran said in a statement. Dementia, which includes Alzheimer’s disease, has been the leading cause of death among Australian women since 2016 and is the top cause of death in New South Wales, South Australia, and the Australian Capital Territory.
Moran also noted that women are more likely to reach an age where the risk of developing dementia is heightened due to their longer life expectancies, as per IANS.
In total, 183,131 deaths were recorded in Australia in 2023, reflecting a decrease of 7,808 from the previous year. COVID-19-related deaths saw a significant drop, from 9,862 in 2022, when it was the third leading cause of death, to 5,001 in 2023, according to the report.
Additionally, there were 3,214 suicide-related deaths in 2023, with men accounting for approximately 75 percent of these cases. The median age at death for suicide victims was 45.5 years, making it the leading cause of premature death in Australia, as per IANS.