HEART, STROKE AND VASCULAR DISEASE

Heart, stroke and vascular disease encompasses a range of circulatory conditions including ischaemic heart diseases, cerebrovascular diseases, oedema, heart failure, and diseases of the arteries, arterioles and capillaries. Most commonly this group of conditions is referred to under the broader term of 'heart disease' (or 'cardiovascular disease'). Heart disease remains one of the leading causes of death worldwide, and therefore an emphasis has been placed around preventing its onset through modifying risk factors such as healthy eating, exercise and avoidance of smoking.

Data source and definitions Data on heart disease refers to persons who reported having been told by a doctor or nurse that they had any of a range of circulatory conditions including ischaemic heart diseases, cerebrovascular diseases, oedema, heart failure, and diseases of the arteries, arterioles and capillaries and that it was current and long-term; that is, their condition was current at the time of interview and had lasted, or was expected to last, 6 months or more. More accurate information on the number of people with heart disease based on measured levels of blood lipids such as total cholesterol will be available upon release of results from the National Health Measures Survey in 2013.

In 2011-12, 4.7% of Australians (1.0 million people) reported they had heart disease, a decrease from 2007-08 where 5.2% of Australians (1.1 million people) had heart disease.

The proportion of people with heart disease increased steadily with age, with more than one quarter (27.7%) of all Australians aged 75 years and over having heart disease, and is more common amongst men (5.1%) than women (4.3%).





For information on measured blood pressure in the Australian Health Survey, see Blood pressure.

Previous Page

Next Page