Heart disease and cancer lower NZ life expectancy compared to Australia

WELLINGTON: New Zealanders will die earlier than their Australian mates due to our higher rates of heart disease and cancer, new research shows.

Australians have a longer life expectancy than New Zealanders, who have both a higher diagnosis and death rate from cardiovascular disease, according to research published yesterday in the Journal of Primary Health Care.

The research, titled ‘‘Ageing badly: indicators of oldage structure in Australia and New Zealand’’, revealed New Zealanders were also less likely to receive preventive treatment such as cholesterollowering medication and some heart procedures such as having stents fitted or coronary artery bypass surgery.

In another blow, they also have a lower chance of surviving cancer — 15% more women died of cancer in New Zealand than over the Ditch between 2000 and 2007.

The gap narrowed for men, 5% more New Zealand men dying of cancer than Australian men during the same period.

Australia also showed significant improvements in overall fiveyear cancer survival, whereas New Zealand had a minimal increase.

Royal New Zealand College of General Practitioners president Samantha Murton said it was ‘‘a significant concern’’ that New Zealanders were disadvantaged compared to their Australian counterparts.

‘‘There are many causes and we need further research, but if we can make progress with health inequities, and cardiovascular and cancer treatment as suggested in the paper we might make some inroads and reduce the burden on patients and an already strained health system.’’

The research also found Australia had an advantageous ageing structure compared with New Zealand, although in both countries indigenous populations were significantly disadvantaged when compared to the general population.

Australians would also live longer and the life expectancy gap was expected to widen further by 2050.

In both countries, there was likely to be a spike in the number of people aged over 60 in the next 30 years, and people older than 80 would increase by 200%.

‘‘The ageing of our population is something that we are going to have to deal with in general practice,’’ Dr Murton said. — The New Zealand Herald