Greek-Australians live longer

Life expectancy in Australia continues to rise, according to the latest figures from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW).

Our expatriates seem to be contributing to this growing trend, as they are considered the second longest-living population on the planet.

The Greek community, however, mourned many of its members in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Life expectancy, notes the AIHW, refers to the years that - on average - a person is expected to live, given current mortality conditions, and is not a prediction, but a useful measure of the health status of a country's population.

For Australia the improvement is rapid over the decades for both men and women, either in terms of from birth onwards, or in the years ahead.

In particular, according to AIHW, children born between 2018 and 2020 are now expected to live to 83 years of age (81.2 for boys and 85.3 for girls), more than 25 years longer than life expectancy at the beginning of the last century.

Also, men who were at 65 in 2018-2020 can expect to live another 20.3 years and women, who were at 65, another 23 years.

In 1960-1962 the «extra years» for these ages were 12.5 for men and 15.7 for women.

Those who were 85 years old in 2018-2020 are expected to have 6.6 years for men and 7.7 years for women.

As mentioned above, these figures are not a prediction, they are an average and our expatriates, as the popular doctor, health food expert and four-decade medical editor in Australia, Norman Swan, has pointed out, have the second highest life expectancy in the World, after the Japanese living in Hawaii.

According to him, the Mediterranean diet plays a key role for Greek-Australians, but it does not in itself constitute the key to longevity. «They have their own herb and vegetable gardens, they cook with fresh ingredients, and this is very important for maintaining their health,» he explained. «So they exercise in the fresh air, manage daily stress and gain a creative occupation that is a source of daily goals and satisfaction.».

Furthermore, as Professor Antigone Kouris-Blazos, Professor of Dietetics, said in a study, despite the adverse changes that have occurred in people's diets in recent decades, Greek immigrants have continued to eat large portions of foods that are considered protective for health.

Perhaps this explains the conclusions of a 2010 study, according to which twice as much antioxidant carotenoids - and especially lutein - were found in the blood of Greek-Australians aged 50-70 years old than in Australians of Anglo-Celtic origin.

According to Dr Kouris-Blazos, in the late 1990s, 81% of elderly Greek immigrants in Australia adopted the Mediterranean diet, while the corresponding figure in Greece was only 57%.

Another reason for the longevity of Greek immigrants is, according to Norman Swan, the religious faith and the reverent observance of the Church's rules by their community. «Older Greek Australians fast for about 100 days a year,» he noted.

Old age, however, as we know, does not come alone. According to AIHW, almost half of Australians are living with a chronic health condition.

The research also looked at the impact of COVID-19. The findings showed that Australia did relatively well in the first two years, but the «excess mortality rate» - deaths above the historical average - increased significantly in 2022.

«There was a significant change in January and February 2022 with 3,105 (more) deaths than expected in those two months,» said AIHW deputy chief executive Matthew James.

By comparison, in 2020 there were 205 fewer deaths than «expected», while in 2021 there were 94 more as cases increased and restrictions were relaxed. Before the pandemic, that average was falling.

Of the 10,000+ COVID-19 deaths now in Australia since the start of the pandemic, 30% were recorded in nursing homes, a figure that ranged from 75% in 2020 to 26% in the first months of 2022.

Although those infected with COVID-19 are now less likely to become seriously ill than at the beginning of the pandemic, the record number of cases in 2022 has also led to a significant increase in hospitalizations and deaths, experts say.

«Millions of Australians who contracted COVID-19 have experienced immediate effects through acute disease, while some experience long-term effects such as long-COVID,» Mr James added.

«In 2022, no other health issue is more serious or has had a greater impact on our population and health system, and these impacts will continue to affect us for many years to come.».

At the same time, according to the figures, 47% in Australia, or 11.6 million people, are living with at least one chronic condition such as arthritis, diabetes or a heart problem.

Chronic diseases, it says, are the leading cause of illness, disability and death in the country.

Although it is described as «complex» how they are caused, the research pointed out that more than 1/3 of the «burden of disease» is due to preventable risk factors such as smoking, physical inactivity and poor diet.

- Two out of 3 adults are overweight or obese

- Three out of 10 adults do not get enough exercise

- Less than 1 in 10 adults consume the recommended amount of vegetables.

Smoking remains the leading cause of preventable illness and death, although the proportion of smokers has fallen to a record low of just 11%.

Furthermore, harmful levels of alcohol consumption were identified as a «major health issue». But even in this case, a decrease in the proportion of «one dangerous occasional drinker» was recorded, while the proportion of those who do not drink increased.

Improvement is recorded for coronary heart disease. It remains one of the leading causes of deaths, but loss of life has decreased by 89% since 1968 (from 428 deaths per 100,000 people to 49 per 100,000 in 2020).

For women in particular, however, dementia and Alzheimer's are the most deadly diseases.

Cancer survival rates (for 5 years after diagnosis) increased significantly from 52% in 1993 to 70% in 2018.

It is stressed, however, that delays in testing and early diagnosis in the midst of the pandemic may result in more advanced cancers being diagnosed later, but at present it is not possible to predict.

Chronic conditions mainly affect people aged 45 and over, but for younger people in Australia accidents and suicide are the leading causes of death.

In 2020, an average of 9 suicides were recorded every day in the country, according to the survey.

More than half of these deaths involved people aged 30-59 years, with men being 3 times more likely to commit suicide than women.

Previous research has shown that around 1 in 2 Australian adults have experienced a mental health disorder in their lifetime.

The pandemic has had a significant impact, with levels of psychological stress being higher than average in 2020, 2021 and 2022, especially among younger people.

There was also an increase in the number of incidents treated by emergency services involving self-harm and suicidal ideation, according to data in some states.

Mr James pointed out, however, that «despite the increase ... COVID-19 is not associated with a rise in deaths that were reportedly from suicide».

The survey confirmed, however, again, that many health issues, economic and social status, plays a role.

COVID-19 deaths (by 30 April 2022) were almost 3 times higher among those living in less privileged areas and up to 2.5 times higher among those born abroad, especially in North African and Middle Eastern countries (36.7 deaths per 100,000 people).

In addition, the rate of severe disease with COVID-19 was 7 times higher for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people compared to the general population.

In general, the better one's socio-economic status, the better one's health status.

According to the research, if all Australians experienced the same level of disease as those living in more privileged areas (2018 data), the overall health burden could be reduced by 20%.