HEART, STROKE AND VASCULAR DISEASE

Deaths due to heart, stroke and vascular disease have declined over the last three decades, largely due to better prevention, treatment and a greater awareness of risks. In 2007-08, 6.4% of all Australians (aged 15 years or over) had some form of heart, stroke or vascular disease, down from 7.2% in 2001. Despite this decline in the prevalence of heart, stroke and vascular disease, it is still one of Australia's biggest killers (because of the deaths it causes in older people), and one of the largest contributors to the burden of disease.

Of all people with heart, stroke or vascular disease, 62% had ischaemic heart disease and 22% had cerebrovascular disease (stroke).

Overall, men are more likely than women to suffer from heart, stroke or vascular disease. In 2007-08, 7.1% of all men and 5.8% of all women had heart, stroke or vascular disease. The difference in prevalence for men and women was greatest for those aged 65-74 years, where almost twice the proportion of men (24%) had heart, stroke or vascular disease than did women (13%).

Heart, stroke and vascular disease is strongly correlated with age. In 2007-08, 30% of people aged 75 years and over had heart, stroke or vascular disease compared with 1.6% of people aged 35-44 years.