Nationwide mortality trends from 2001 to 2020 in Greece: health policy implications under the scope of aging societies

Abstract

ObjectiveThis nationwide study aims to analyze mortality trends for all individual causes in Greece from 2001 to 2020, with a specific focus on 2020, a year influenced by the COVID-19 pandemic. As Greece is the fastest-aging country in Europe, the study’s findings can be generalized to other aging societies, guiding the reevaluation of global health policies. MethodsData on the population and the number of deaths were retrieved from the Hellenic Statistical Authority. We calculated age-standardized mortality rates (ASMR) and cause-specific mortality rates by sex in three age groups (0–64, 65–79, and 80+ years) from 2001 to 2020. Proportional mortality rates for 2020 were determined. Statistical analysis used generalized linear models with Python Programming Language. ResultsFrom 2001 to 2020, the ASMR of cardiovascular diseases (CVD) decreased by 42.7% (p < 0.0001), with declines in most sub-causes, except for hypertensive diseases, which increased by 2.8-fold (p < 0.0001). In 2020, the proportional mortality rates of the three leading causes were 34.9% for CVD, 23.5% for neoplasms, and 9.6% for respiratory diseases (RD). In 2020, CVD were the leading cause of death among individuals aged 80+ years (39.3%), while neoplasms were the leading cause among those aged 0–79 years (37.7%). Among cardiovascular sub-causes, cerebrovascular diseases were predominant in the 80+ year age group (30.3%), while ischemic heart diseases were most prevalent among those aged 0–79 years (up to 60.0%). ConclusionsThe global phenomenon of population aging necessitates a reframing of health policies in our aging societies, focusing on diseases with either a high mortality burden, such as CVD, neoplasms, and RD, or those experiencing increasing trends, such as hypertensive diseases.