Information on deaths from heart disease: background to data and references in the article in The Conversation, July 2022

Definition:

Heart, stroke and vascular disease encompasses a range of circulatory conditions. Commonly, this group of conditions is referred to under the broader term of 'heart disease' (as used in this document) and includes

ischaemic heart disease (also called coronary heart disease)
atrial fibrillation
heart failure and cardiomyopathy
stroke
peripheral arterial disease
congenital heart disease
rheumatic heart disease [1].

The 40,289 deaths from cardiovascular disease in 2020 accounted for 25% of all deaths, of which deaths from ischaemic heart disease accounted for the largest proportion (82% of deaths from cardiovascular disease).

Risk factors and disease burden:

The disease burden for heart disease can be attributed to several risk factors. In 2015, dietary risk factors were responsible for the most burden (62%), followed by high blood pressure (43%), high cholesterol (37%), overweight and obesity (25%), tobacco use (14%) and physical inactivity (12%). It is important to note that these risk factors overlap and, as a result, the associated risk does not sum to 100% [2].

Selected risk factors and socioeconomic status

For some risk factors, data are available by socioeconomic status. These are presented below in two charts, to enable comparisons across the socioeconomic gradient to be made more easily.

The first chart shows that the widest equity gap is for smoking, with the rate in the most disadvantaged areas (Quintile 5) almost three (2.87) times that in the least disadvantaged areas (Quintile 1). The difference in rates between the most disadvantaged and least disadvantaged areas for those reporting they engaged in insufficient physical activity, or had high blood pressure, were lower, but still marked, at 35% and 56% higher, respectively.

In each case, those in the intervening quintiles had higher rates than those in the most advantaged areas (Quintile 1).

**Selected risk factors (smoking, sedentary, obese) for heart disease, 2017-18 National Health Survey**

Notes: ‘Sedentary’ comprises people reporting that they had low, very low or no physical activity in the two-week reference period of the survey

The rate ratio is the ratio between the age-standardised rate in Q5 (Quintile 5) to the rate in Q1 (Quintile 1)

Source: PHIDU, available at https://phidu.torrens.edu.au/current/graphs/sha-aust/quintiles/aust/risk-factors.html; last accessed 20 June 2022

Again, there is a steady increase in rates with increasing disadvantage, with overall differences between the between the most disadvantaged and least disadvantaged areas of 21% for high blood pressure and 15% for inadequate fruit intake.

**Selected risk factors (inadequate fruit intake, high blood pressure) for heart disease, 2017-18 National Health Survey**

Notes: The rate ratio is the ratio between the age-standardised rate in Q5 (Quintile 5) to the rate in Q1 (Quintile 1)

Source: PHIDU, available at https://phidu.torrens.edu.au/current/graphs/sha-aust/quintiles/aust/risk-factors.html; last accessed 20 June 2022

Data:

The deaths data presented in the following analysis were compiled by PHIDU from data based on the 2020 Cause of Death Unit Record Files supplied by the Australian Coordinating Registry and the Victorian Department of Justice, on behalf of the Registries of Births, Deaths and Marriages and the National Coronial Information System. The population used in calculating rates is the ABS Estimated Resident Population (ERP) for Australia, 30 June 2020.

Whole population