Robotic-assisted lung cancer surgeries are on the rise in the Iberian Peninsula region.
In the year 2023, Portugal experienced a tragic milestone, recording the highest number of deaths due to disease in the past 20 years, totalling 4490. This sobering statistic underscores the ongoing health challenges faced by the nation.
The top causes of death in Portugal in 2023 were dominated by cardiovascular diseases, a trend that has remained consistent over the past two decades. These diseases, including heart attacks and strokes, accounted for a substantial share of mortality, mirroring broader trends across the European Union where such diseases are the leading cause of death, making up around 32.4% of all deaths in 2021 in the EU.
Cancer (malignant neoplasms) follows closely as the second major cause of death, representing about 21.6% of deaths in the EU context. Given the similar trends observed in Portugal, it is likely that cancer also accounts for a significant proportion of deaths in the country.
Other causes of death, such as respiratory diseases, diabetes, and infectious diseases, have lower shares compared to cardiovascular diseases and cancer. Nevertheless, they remain concerning health issues that require continued attention.
The persistence of cardiovascular diseases as the foremost cause of death in Portugal over the past two decades can be attributed to both aging demographics and lifestyle risk factors. Although exact cause-of-death data for Portugal in 2023 is limited in the latest direct statistics, consistent health status data from recent years confirms this pattern.
It is important to note that while excess deaths due to health crises like COVID-19 caused spikes in mortality in the early 2020s, cardiovascular diseases have remained persistently the top cause when aggregated over the longer term.
In conclusion, the top causes of death in Portugal in 2023 continued historically long-standing trends of cardiovascular diseases being the primary cause, followed by cancer, with other diseases accounting for smaller proportions of mortality. These findings underscore the need for continued efforts to address these leading causes of death and improve overall public health in Portugal.
[1] European Statistical Office (Eurostat) - Mortality and Causes of Death (2023) [2] Portuguese National Institute of Statistics (INE) - Health Status Data (2023) [3] World Health Organization (WHO) - Excess Mortality During the COVID-19 Pandemic (2023)
The science community must focus on addressing the top causes of death in Portugal, notably cardiovascular diseases and cancer, given their significant impact on medical-conditions and health-and-wellness. Despite cancer being the second major cause of death in the EU, its prevalence and impact in Portugal are likely similar due to observed trends.
