Health News

The most common causes of death in Germany

The most common causes of death in Germany: Cardiovascular disease and cancer are still the most common causes of death in Germany. The Federal Statistical Office has published all causes of death and deaths from 2009.

The Federal Statistical Office has announced the official figures on deaths in Germany. The most common cause of death is cardiovascular disease followed by cancer.

Over 850,000 deaths in 2009
In Wiesbaden, the Federal Statistical Office today published the figures on the deaths in 2009. This shows that last year 854,544 deaths were recorded, 1.2 percent more than in the previous year. In the process, 31,832 people died as a result of accidents, falls, poisoning and other external influences, which represents an increase of around one percent over the previous year to 3.7 percent of total deaths. The number of suicides has increased by 120 cases since 2008 to 9,571 suicides in 2009. The most common cause of death remains cardiovascular disease, followed by cancer.

Cause at 42 percent: cardiovascular disease
363,785 Germans died of cardiovascular diseases last year, which corresponds to 42% of total deaths. In 91 percent of the cases, people over the age of 65 were affected. Compared to the previous year, the absolute number of deaths from cardiovascular diseases remained virtually constant. A more detailed examination shows that heart attacks alone are the cause of more than 60,000 deaths in Germany, and here, unlike the general sex ratio of deaths (almost 53 percent women), men are clearly more likely to affect 56 percent of the deceased than women. In a five-year comparison, deaths from cardiovascular disease decreased by about 3 percent, with deaths from myocardial infarction, ischemic heart disease (9 percent each) and hypertension (13 percent) decreased disproportionately.

Cancers second leading cause of death
Behind the cardiovascular diseases, cancer with more than 216,000 deaths continue to be the second leading cause of death in Germany. Cancer is responsible for around a quarter of total deaths, with men most likely to die from colon, liver and lung cancers and women often dying from breast cancer in addition to the corresponding cancers of the digestive system. While the number of deaths from cancer increased only slightly (just under two percent), deaths from respiratory diseases increased from 59,047 to 63,302.

Risk groups should pay particular attention to health
The numbers should be a warning to all at risk groups such as smokers and obese people. By abstaining from alcohol and tobacco as well as lots of exercise and a healthy diet, for example, the most common causes of heart failure - high blood pressure and diseases of the coronary arteries (coronary heart disease) - can be prevented relatively well. In addition, special care and attention is required for persons over the age of 65 years. Symptoms such as shortness of breath, reduced performance, tiredness and swelling of the legs should not be ignored and a visit to the doctor or cardiologist is urgently required. Anyone who has already been diagnosed with a corresponding heart failure should, according to the experts, regularly visit the cardiologist for medical supervision and keep an eye on their own development every day (eg weight controls, blood pressure measurements). With regard to possible cancers, regular check-ups are advisable. (fp, 18.10.2010)