The Global Burden of Disease Project carried out a study that started in 1990 and ended in 2013 which took into consideration 79 risk factors for death in 188 countries. Their results were published in The Lancet a few days ago.
The risk factors that were included in their study contributed 25 million deaths in 1990, but by 2013 they already contributed to almost 31 million deaths worldwide. The researchers found out that the risk factors have changed profoundly since 1990 when they were child and maternal malnutrition, unsafe water and sanitation, and the lack of washing hands. These have now been substituted by poor diets and high blood pressure.
He goes on by saying that it is up to the policymakers to effectively use this knowledge for prevention efforts and health policies. Since the University of Melbourne was one of the lead institutions in this study, here are some specific numbers for Australia. The top risk factor is high blood pressure followed by smoking and high body mass index in second and third places.
One of the fastest growing risk factors is drug use which is responsible for the biggest increase in poor health in men. On the other hand, the biggest increase in poor health in women comes from diabetes-related illness which saw a staggering 68% increase since 1990. Diabetes-related illnesses and high body mass index deaths have increased from 35% to 47%.
Not all of the study’s findings were bad news though. Deaths from high cholesterol have decreased by 25%, and deaths from diets low in fruit and vegetables have decreased by 10%. University of Melbourne Professor Alan Lopez, said many of these risk factors for Australian deaths are preventable with lifestyle changes.