Despite a dramatic reduction since the late 1960s, cardiovascular disease remains the largest cause of death in Australia.

Cardiovascular disease mortality: trends at different ages examines recent data to determine if the observed decrease in cardiovascular disease deaths since the 1960s is shared across disease sub-types and among different population groups.

This report includes information on the past and recent trends of key cardiovascular diseases such as coronary heart disease and stroke, and describes how trends vary on the basis of age group and sex. International trends are also presented for comparison.

The analyses presented in this report help to better understand what is driving the observed decrease in cardiovascular disease deaths, and are a useful resource for policy makers, researchers and health professionals interested in cardiovascular diseases.