Cancer is most common killer among Israelis – ministry

Accident deaths down in last decade • Country has lowest male mortality rate out of 38 developed countries

By JUDY SIEGEL-ITZKOVICH
Cancer cells (photo credit: REUTERS)
Cancer cells
(photo credit: REUTERS)
The good news is that the Israeli death rate from accidents and most diseases was a quarter to a third lower during the past decade compared to the previous one.
The bad news is that Alzheimer’s disease, influenza, kidney disease and pneumonia from inhalation of liquids or solids increased during the same period.
So showed figures that Health Ministry statisticians released for publication on Wednesday, based on Interior Ministry and Central Bureau of Statistics reports.
The statisticians, led by Ziona Haklai, also reported that malignant tumors (cancers) are the most common cause of death in Israel, with the rate of such tumors remaining steady since 2005.
Cardiovascular diseases, stroke, respiratory disorders, accidents and diabetes as underlying causes of death dropped by 20 percent to 30% in the past decade.
The figures also showed that the mortality rate of Israeli men was the lowest among 38 developed countries (575.6 per 100,000 residents); that of Israeli women was fifth-lowest (412.4), and that of Israelis in general was fourth-lowest at 486.6.
By way of comparison, the highest death rate was in Romania – 914.8 per 100,000 residents.
The countries with lower population mortality rates than Israel were Switzerland, Italy, Spain and France. Even the Scandinavian countries had higher mortality rates than Israel.
According to the Health Ministry figures, the differences were due to lifestyle, diet, level of healthcare, genetics and other demographic factors.
In Europe, cancer remains the top underlying cause of death, followed by cardiovascular diseases.
Cancer is the leading cause of Israeli deaths in females age 15 to 74 and in males age 25 and up; it is the third most common among males age 15 to 24. Accidents at home and outside are the leading cause of death in males age 15 to 24, and the second in men age 25 to 44 and women age 15 to 44.
Suicide is the second leading killer of males age 15 to 24, and third among men 25 to 44 and women 15 to 44.
A quarter of all Israeli deaths are due to cancers and a fifth to heart diseases, followed by vascular disorders (including stroke) and complications of diabetes.
Among children from birth to four years, problems at birth and congenital defects are the most common causes of death, followed by accidents and cancers. Accidents and cancers are the most common causes in children age five to 14.
Between 45 and 74, cancer, heart disease, diabetes complications and stroke – in that order – are the main underlying causes in both men and women. Over 75, cancer, followed by heart disease, kills the most men; for women in the same age group, heart disease comes first and cancer second.