Despite falling cardiovascular disease death rates across all age groups in Australia, the rate of decline in younger age groups has slowed in recent decades.
This report describes trends in cardiovascular disease death rates (including coronary heart disease and cerebrovascular disease) by age group using the latest available data. It builds on previous reports where slowdowns in younger age groups were also found.
Death rates from cardiovascular disease have fallen considerably in Australia. These declines began in the late 1960s, and have continued to 2015, at varying rates, depending on diseases and age groups.
Since 1968, the cardiovascular disease death rate has fallen by 82%.
While cardiovascular disease death rates continue to fall across all age groups, the rate of decline in younger age groups has slowed in recent years.
For coronary heart disease, falls in death rates continue to improve among older age groups (those aged 75 and over), but have slowed among younger age groups.
For example, for those aged 35–54, the fall in coronary heart disease deaths has slowed from an average of 7.2% each year (1980–1993) to an average of 3.1% (1993–2015).
For cerebrovascular disease (including stroke), falls in death rates have remained steady for older age groups (those aged 75 and over), but have also slowed among most younger age groups.
For those aged 55–64, the fall in cerebrovascular disease deaths has slowed from an average of 6.0% each year (1980–2005) to an average of 2.2% (2005–2015).
These findings are consistent with previous reporting. Continued monitoring of changes in cardiovascular disease death rates provides the evidence that is needed to improve population-level prevention strategies for cardiovascular disease.