Good news, bad news, and surprising news from the National Health Measures Survey 2022-24, released today: the number of Australians with high cholesterol has fallen, but those suffering from diabetes has risen sharply. Many of the inhabitants of the world’s sunniest continent are also not getting enough Vitamin D.
While the proportion of people with high cholesterol remains at nearly a third (30.2 percent) of adults, it has fallen from 33.2 percent in 2011/12.
Women, at 32.1 percent, are more likely to suffer this than men, at 28.2 percent.
High cholesterol, particularly elevated LDL (“bad cholesterol”) levels, contributes to the buildup of plaque in arteries, increasing the risk of heart attack and stroke. It can also contribute to other cardiovascular problems and even affect other organs.
Coronary heart disease is the leading underlying cause of death in males in Australia, and the second most common in females, while cerebrovascular disease (strokes) is the fifth most most in men and third in women.
The figures for diabetes, however, are heading in the opposite direction.
One in 15 adults (6.6 percent) now has the disease, up from one in 20 (5.1 percent) a decade earlier. Another 2.7 percent are classed as being at high risk of contracting diabetes.
According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics’ Head of Health Statisitics, James Mowle, “Males are more likely to have diabetes than females. And adults living in the most disadvantaged areas are more likely to have diabetes than those in the least disadvantaged areas.”
Older people also have a higher likelihood than those who are younger.
Also of concern is that the proportion of adults with indicators of chronic kidney disease has risen to 14.2 percent, up from 10.8 percent a decade before.
The survey also revealed that one in five Australian adults (20.6 percent) have a vitamin D deficiency, which is more likely to occur in winter than summer (since sun exposure is one way of getting the vitamin), though this varied significantly by state.
“Results showed 26.1 percent of Australian adults are vitamin D deficient in winter, compared to 15.5 percent in summer,” Mowles said.
“We know that vitamin D is essential for the body to absorb calcium effectively, which is important for bone health and muscle function. A severe vitamin D deficiency can lead to brittle and fragile bones.”
However, the proportion of those with the deficiency has fallen over the past ten years, down from 23.8 percent in 2011/12.
