Community Health Status Report
Issue Number 7 - December 2000
Executive Summary
The current report is an update of material first published in December 1994
on major causes of death and premature death in Renfrew County and District.
New data are presented for the period 1991-1995 and compared with data for
the previous reporting period, 1986-1990. The most recent data available, death
rates for the years 1996 and 1997 are included on graphs depicting mortality
rate trends.
The major findings are as follows:
Major Causes of Death
The average number of deaths per year has increased from 800 to 860, due to
a combination of increasing population and population aging.
- The major causes of death are cardiovascular disease (44%, 380 deaths per
year), cancer (27%, 230 deaths per year), respiratory disease (8%, 65 deaths
per year), and injuries (6%, 48 deaths per year).
- The major causes of premature death (potential years of life lost or
"PYLL") are cancer, cardiovascular disease and injuries.
Cardiovascular Disease
Cardiovascular disease (CVD) death rates declined in Renfrew County between
1986 and 1997 as they did across Ontario and Canada.
- Renfrew County's age-standardized CVD death rates remain significantly
higher than Ontario's as reported previously; rates for all CVD, heart
attack and stroke were 19%, 20% and 17% higher respectively for the period
1991-1995.
- Renfrew County's age-standardized rates of premature death or "PYLL"
from CVD also remain significantly higher than Ontario's; rates were 37%,
45% and 39% higher in Renfrew County than Ontario for all CVD, heart attack
and stroke between 1991 and 1995.
- Every year between 1991 and 1995 smoking caused approximately 75 CVD
deaths while physical inactivity caused about 30 premature deaths from CVD.
Cancer
Cancer is the leading cause of premature death in Renfrew County, accounting
for about 29% of PYLL between 1991 and 1995.
- The most common types of cancer and average number of deaths per year due
to each one are as follows: lung, 56; colon, 25; breast, 19; lymphatic
system, 17; and prostate, 16.
- Cancer death rates have been stable or declining for the past decade, with
the exception of lung cancer in women, which continues to rise.
- Renfrew County's age-standardized death rates for cancer do not differ
significantly from Ontario's.
- Rates of premature death (PYLL) from cancer were significantly higher in
Renfrew County than Ontario by about 4% overall, down from 9% higher in
1986-1990.
- Specific types of cancer for which Renfrew County's premature death rates
were significantly higher than Ontario's between 1991 and 1995 include colon
cancer in women, lung cancer in both sexes, lymphatic cancer in women,
leukemia in both sexes, and prostate cancer in men.
- One-quarter of all PYLL due to cancer in Renfrew County between 1991 and
1995 was due to lung cancer. Of the 56 annual lung cancer deaths during this
period, approximately 45 were caused by smoking.
Injuries
Injuries are a major cause of premature death in Renfrew County and
District, accounting for 21% of all PYLL between 1991 and 1995.
- The major causes of injury deaths are motor vehicle accidents (16 per
year) and suicide (12 per year).
- Renfrew County's age-standardized injury death rates have declined since
the previous reporting period from 57 deaths to 46 deaths per 100,000
population.
- Renfrew County's age-standardized death rates remained higher than
Ontario's for all injuries and motor vehicle accidents.
- Renfrew County's age-standardized PYLL rates have also declined and remain
significantly higher than provincial rates; Renfrew County's premature death
rates for all injuries, motor vehicle accidents and suicide were 26%, 66%
and 32% higher respectively than Ontario's between 1991 and 1995.
Life Expectancy
Life expectancy is approximately six-tenths of a year lower for the
population as a whole, and seven-tenths of a year lower for males as a group
in Renfrew County than in the province of Ontario. At birth, in 1996, the
average resident of Renfrew County and District could expect to live 78.0
years while our provincial counterparts could expect to live 78.6 years.
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