general health situation in japan - key problems
For the last twenty years, Japan has been ranked first in the world with respect to both life expectancy and healthy life expectancy. Looking on the other side, here are the top three leading causes of deaths in Japan.
(i) flu and pneumonia
Aged people are more likely to become victims of pneumonia because of their weaker immune system. In 2011, 125 000 people died of pneumonia. Of these, 97% of them were 65 years old and above.
(ii) coronary disease
Heart disease is the second key cause of deaths in Japan, with coronary heart disease (CHD) being responsible for half of them. In Osaka, male citizens from 40 to 69 years of age have shown a trend for CHD incidence to rise from 0.6 per 1000 people in 1980 to 1987 to 1.3 per 1000 people in 1996. Statistics in Takashima City showed that people suffering from CHD for all ages rose from 0.7 per 1000 people in 1990 to 1.0 per 1000 people in 2001. This increase was seen primarily for those aged 65 years old and above.
(iii) stroke
Traditional Japanese food is low in fat but high in sodium. However, it lacks nutrients from fruits, nuts and whole grains, which causes high blood pressure. High blood pressure puts extra strain on the heart and blood vessels, raising the risk of heart attacks and strokes.