Death rates fall but still higher than average

WHILE the mortality rate from heart disease in Ireland is less than half of what it was more than 25 years ago, Irish death rates generally are higher than the average for developed countries, a study has found.

Although the difference in life expectancy is relatively small — at around one and a half years — approximately 1.100 fewer people aged under 75 would die in Ireland every year if the country’s death rate matched the international average.

In particular, it found that death rates for women aged 65 to 85 and men aged 75 to 85 are more than 25% higher in Ireland than the average across 19 countries.

Irish death rates are lower than the international average only for men aged between 35 and 55 and for women between 25 and 35 and between 42 and 48.

On the plus side, the study found that significant improvements in Irish mortality rates have been achieved. Overall, death rates have reduced by 40% between 1980 and 2004.

The most significant successes have been in reducing the number of deaths from heart and cerebrovascular disease, which together accounted for around 40% of all deaths in 2004.

“Overall, the mortality rate from heart disease in 2004 was 47% of the 1980 level, so the death rate is less than half of what it was 25 years ago,” said Aisling Kennedy, the society’s director of professional affairs. “Effectively, this means that 52,000 deaths have been postponed over this period.”

Deaths related to cerebrovascular diseases, such as stroke, showed an even greater improvement, with the 2004 death rate reduced to 35% of the 1980 figure, resulting in a further 53,000 deaths being prevented.

A more mixed picture emerged for cancer, which accounted for around one quarter of deaths in 2004.

While death rates from cancer have fallen overall, 213 more men died from prostrate cancer in 2004 than would have been the case had death rates remained at 1980 levels and, similarly, 69 more women died from lung cancer.