Zagreb residents live an average of 79.6 years

The life expectancy of Zagreb residents was 79.6 years last year, which is nearly four years longer than in 2003, when it was 76 years, and the biggest public health problem in Zagreb is cardiovascular and malignant diseases, according to data from the Health Statistical Yearbook of the City of Zagreb for 2017, which was presented on the occasion of World Health Day on Friday at the Andrija Štampar Teaching Institute of Public Health.

Cardiovascular diseases, specifically heart and blood vessel diseases, as well as malignant diseases with an emphasis on lung cancer and colorectal cancer, have been identified as public health priorities in Zagreb for 2018.

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– Although there is a noticeable slight decline in mortality from cardiovascular diseases, 42 percent of deaths from these diseases in Zagreb cannot satisfy us because advanced countries have mortality rates between 25 and 27 percent, said the director of the Institute, Zvonimir Šostar.

A significant problem, he adds, is mental illnesses, specifically depression, given that there were a total of 120 suicides in Zagreb last year.

– It is concerning that there were seven suicides in the population aged 15 to 24, while in the age group of 24 to 39 there were 11 suicides, and these are the most productive groups. Depression is definitely becoming the leading diagnosis in the world, said Šostar.

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Croats are an increasingly aging nation

The head of the Public Health Service of the Institute, Marina Polić Vižintin, pointed out that Croats are an increasingly aging nation, and Zagreb residents are even older compared to national indicators, with over 17.5 percent of people aged over 65.

At the same time, the life expectancy of men in Zagreb is 77 years, while for women it is 82 years.

– According to the criteria of the World Health Organization, we have a very old population, which is the reason why malignant and cardiovascular diseases are more prevalent and why more people die from them, said Polić Vižintin.

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Among the reasons why Zagreb residents visit primary care physicians, respiratory diseases rank first, followed by musculoskeletal and connective tissue diseases, and cardiovascular diseases in third place.

The largest number of Zagreb residents are hospitalized due to cancer and circulatory system diseases, followed by mental disorders and behavioral disorders, as well as digestive system diseases.

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This shows that chronic mass non-communicable diseases dominate in Zagreb, which have common risk factors, namely improper nutrition, smoking, excessive alcohol consumption, and insufficient physical activity.

Therefore, changing lifestyle and early screenings could help prevent the disease from occurring, and if it does occur, to ensure it progresses more slowly and leaves fewer consequences, said Polić Vižintin.