General Statistics
- Cardiovascular disease (heart, stroke and blood vessel disease) is still the leading cause of death in New Zealand accounting for 40% of deaths annually
1
- Every 90 minutes a New Zealander dies from coronary heart disease (16 deaths a day)
1 . Many of these deaths are premature and preventable.
- Obesity is a risk factor for a number of diseases including coronary heart diease, stroke, diabetes, high blood pressure, osteoarthritis and some cancers
2
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One in twenty adults have been diagnosed with coronary heart disease. That's 161,000 adults and includes 118,500 with angina and 89,400 who have had a heart attack resulting in them being hospitalised 2.
- Approximately one in two New Zealanders are obese or overweight
1
- One in five New Zealanders older than 15 smoke
1
- It is estimated that 5,000 people in New Zealand die prematurely from smoking each year - this equates to around 12 people a day dying from smoking 3.
1. Hay, D. 2004. cardiovascular Disease in New Zealand. 2004.
A Summary of Recent Statistical Information. National Heart Foundation of New Zealand.
2. Ministry of Health. 2008. Portrait of Health. Key Results of the 2006/07 New Zealand Health Survey. Wellington: Ministry of Health.
3. Ministry of Health. 2009. Implementing the ABC approch for Smoking Cessation. Framework and Work Programme. Wellington: Ministry of Health.
Page updated on Monday 1 March 2010
