OECD Fewer deaths from cardiovascular disease

Although the mortality from cardiovascular diseases in Germany has fallen by about 60 percent over the past fifty years, more people still die of heart attacks or strokes in this country than the OECD average. High blood pressure and diabetes are increasing, especially among young people.

Mortality dropped due to cardiovascular disease
In Germany, cardiovascular disease mortality has fallen by about 60 percent in the past fifty years, according to news agency AFP. The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) has reported, however, that with 310 deaths per 100,000 inhabitants, still slightly more people die from strokes, heart attacks and other cardiovascular diseases than the OECD average. However, although in Germany, unlike many other OECD countries, people apparently die of such diseases at an advanced age, cardiologists have recently pointed out that more and more young women have heart attacks. As the current report goes on to say, the number of potentially lost life years is on average lower in this country than in the OECD area.

Fewer deaths from cardiovascular disease. (Image: hriana - fotolia)

Increase in obesity and diabetes
However, according to the experts, the positive development could be halted and even reversed by the global increase in obesity, obesity and diabetes, especially among young people. Only a few weeks ago, the World Health Organization (WHO) even warned against a real "overweight crisis" until 2030. Especially Europeans are getting fatter. Cardiovascular disease remains the leading cause of death in OECD countries. They are often associated with obesity and diabetes.

Hypertension and elevated cholesterol levels in Germany
While strong obesity is less common in this country than in many other countries, there are some risk factors, according to the OECD report, Germany is relatively poor in international comparison. According to this, hypertension and elevated cholesterol levels are more widespread in Germany than on average in the 34 industrialized countries. And even if the smoking rate, especially among young people in Germany has fallen significantly in recent years, smoked in 2011, 22.4 percent of adolescents and just over every fifth adult.

Better basic medical care
On the positive side, Germany spends more money on prevention than the OECD average. The basic medical care is therefore above the average. However, the report also points out that in no other OECD country, with the exception of Hungary, are more people hospitalized for diabetes than in Germany in relation to the incidence of the disease. Furthermore, chronic heart failure is treated far more frequently in the clinic than elsewhere. With high-quality primary care, however, both diseases could also be well treated outside the hospital. In addition, the risk of dying within 30 days of a cerebral infarction or cerebral hemorrhage is much lower in Germany than the OECD average. For patients with heart attacks, however, it is 8.9 percent, slightly above the OECD average (7.9 percent). (Ad)

/ Span>