How Australians die - series of articles

Last week, The Conversation published a series of articles about the leading causes of death in Australia: How Australians Die.

How Australians Die: cause #1 – heart diseases and stroke was written by Garry Jennings from the Baker IDI Heart & Diabetes Institute.  Here, the global implications of heart disease are also discussed, with most of the recent huge increase occurring in developing countries. 

How Australians Die: cause #2 – cancers by Terry Slevin, Cancer Council Australia and Andrew Redfern, UWS, looks at the seven cancer types that are in the top 20 causes of death in Australia. 

How Australians Die: cause #3 - dementia (Alzheimer's) is by Siva Purushothuman, Neuroscience Research Australia. With Australia's aging population, the number of people with dementia, and dying from it, is on the rise.

How Australians Die: cause #4 – chronic lower respiratory diseases was written by Stephen Milne from the University of Sydney.  He compares the lung to an upside-down tree where the wind pipe is the trunk and the bronchi are the branches. Chronic lower respiratory diseases affect these branches.

How Australians Die: cause #5 – diabetes was the final article, from Merlin Thomas and Paul Zimmet from Baker IDI Heart & Diabetes Institute. Not only is diabetes is a leading cause of death in Australia, but it also causes other conditions which can lead to premature death, such as heart attacks, strokes, amputations, kidney failure, depression and severe infections.