A report released by the Luxembourg Directorate for Health on Wednesday has revealed that cardiovascular disease continues to represent the leading cause of death in the Grand Duchy.
Figures from 2014 show that 3,802 deaths were recorded in Luxembourg, of which 93.1% were due to diseases and the other 6.9% the result of external causes. Men accounted for the majority, 52.3%, of all deaths.
The most common cause of death in 2014, as in previous years, was determined to be cardiovascular disease and accounted for one third, or 1,189, deaths, despite the fact that the related death rate has decreased from 39% to 31% over the last decade.
The second leading causes of death, responsible for 30.4% of all deaths, was cancer. In 2014, more men (673, 57.8%) were found to have fatally contracted a form of the disease than women (491, 42.2%). Men were found to be more prone to cancer of the digestive and respiratory organs and genital, whilst women predominantly contracted cancer of the digestive and respiratory organs and breast. Although not the leading cause of death in Luxembourg, the mortality rate of cancer has increased from 26% to 30% over the past decade.
The third most commonly-encountered cause of death was a disease of the respiratory system, found in 7% of cases, or 265 people.
261 deaths, or 6.9%, were due to external reasons in which men were primarily affected. 85 deaths were the result of suicide or events in which the intention was not able to be determined. 55 people passed away following a fall, and a further 38 after a road traffic accident. Only 2.6% of deaths were of non-residents, for which the rate linked with traffic accidents was 23.7%.
Photo by Shutterstock
