Summary

This report presents a picture of morbidity from cardiovascular disease in Australia at the present time, from data currently available. Rates and numbers of heart attacks by sex, age and State or, Territory have been estimated from routinely collected morbidity and mortality data with corrections based on validation studies from the Newcastle MONICA Project. Advantages and disadvantages of the three different methods of estimation are discussed. Event rates and case fatalities for the two Australian MONICA centres (Newcastle and Perth) are compared with rates from international MONICA centres. Sex- and age-specific numbers and rates of cerebrovascular disease from a population register in Perth are presented as well as data from other international stroke registers. Numbers of hospital admissions for other cardiovascular diseases are also provided. Age- and sex-specific numbers and rates of cardiovascular conditions from population health surveys are summarised. The report also highlights problems with the routinely collected data.