Heart disease is the leading cause of death among Australians, followed by dementia-related deaths, according to the latest government data.
Released Thursday by the Australian Bureau of Statistics, the nation’s mortality numbers for 2023 show that, although heart disease remains the number one killer, dementia is a close second with less than 250 deaths separating the two.
As the stats show: heart disease was the cause of 9.2 per cent of deaths, while dementia accounted for 9.1 per cent of deaths during the period.
“We’ve seen a drop in heart disease mortality and a rise in dementia deaths over time associated with both improvements in medical treatment and healthcare, and an ageing population,” the bureau’s Lauren Moran said. “This is changing our leading causes of death.”
Indeed, dementia is shown to be the leading cause of death in South Australia, the Australian Capital Territory and, for the first time, New South Wales.
Dementia has been the leading cause of death among Australian women since 2016. As the ABS figures show, in 2023, dementia accounted for 12.2 per cent of female deaths compared to 6.4 per cent of male deaths.
Longevity appears to be the underlying factor with women more likely to live to an age when they have an increased risk of developing dementia.
In response to the ABS data, Dementia Support Australia head of professional services Marie Alford told Australian Ageing Agenda the increasing number of people with the disease is having an impact on carers, families, the health system and residential aged care. “While there has been some progress with treatments, the reality is there is no cure.”
There are around 421,000 Australians currently living with dementia. Without a significant intervention, this number is expected to increase to more than 812,500 by 2054.
“With over 400,000 people already living with dementia, let’s ensure there is ongoing funding available to provide the best support we can to improve quality of life for those living with dementia, including ensuring help is available to assist the person to live in their own home as long as possible,” Ms Alford said.
“Most people living with dementia do so in their own homes in the community. Proactive support that is tailored to identify behavioural changes at home and provide support for carers at home will enable people to stay where they want to be – at home.”
Comment on the story below. Follow Australian Ageing Agenda on LinkedIn, X (Twitter) and Facebook, sign up to our twice-weekly newsletter and subscribe to our premium content or AAA magazine for the complete aged care picture.