Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the term used for heart, stroke and blood vessel diseases. It is the leading cause of death in Australia, accounting for 33% of all deaths in Australia in 2009. Cardiovascular disease kills one Australian every 11 minutes.

Cardiovascular disease is one of Australia's largest health problems. Despite improvements over the last few decades, it remains one of the biggest burdens on our economy.

Cardiovascular disease:

• is heart, stroke and blood vessel disease
• kills one Australian every 11 minutes
• affects more than 3.4 million Australians
• prevents 1.4 million people from living a full life because of disability caused by the disease
• affects one in six Australians, and affects two out of three families
• claimed the lives of almost 46,000 Australians (33% of all deaths) in 2008 - deaths that are largely preventable.

Also, heart disease:

• affects around 800,000 Australians
• claimed the lives of over 22,500 Australians (16% or one in six of all deaths) in 2009
• kills one Australian every 23 minutes

Resources

• The Burden of Cardiovascular Disease in Australia for the Year 2003 (2007)
  A report released by the Heart Foundation which reveals that each year cardiovascular disease robs Australians of nearly 500,000 years of healthy life.
  
  
• The shifting burden of cardiovascular disease in Australia (2005)
  
  
• Heart, Stroke and Vascular Diseases. Australian Facts (2004) (Clicking on this link will take you the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare website.)
  
  
• Heart, Stoke and Vascular Diseases. Australian Facts (highlights)