The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare’s figures analyse the most common causes of death across Australia from 2012 to 2016, and reveal the top 20 causes by local government area.

Across Australia, the biggest killer of men and women during the five year period was heart disease,  followed by dementia and Alzheimer’s disease, stroke, lung cancer and lung disease.

In Bathurst, four of the top 20 most common causes of death were for heart issues.

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Heart disease was the biggest killer, with 184 deaths recorded during the five-year period, the equivalent of 12.2 per cent of all deaths.

Heart failure killed 36 people (2.4 per cent of deaths), while 32 people (2.1 per cent) died from hypertensive and cardiac arrhythmia killed 28 people (1.8 per cent).

A stark difference in Bathurst, when compared to the national mortality rate, were higher rates of death by stroke, diabetes, cancer of unknown or ill-defined primary site and liver disease.

Strokes were the second biggest killer in the list with 126 people dying from the condition during the reporting period (8.3 per cent). This was 35 per cent higher than the national mortality rate.

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Diabetes accounted for 3.6 per cent of deaths, with 55 in total which was 46 per cent higher than the national rate.

Cancer of unknown or ill-defined primary site killed 42 people (2.8 per cent). This was 27 per cent higher than the national rate.

While the top 20 list also revealed that Bathurst had a 73 per cent higher rate of liver cancer compared to the national mortality rate in the top 20 list.

The city also had a 46 per cent higher rate of leukaemia deaths than the national rate.

Death by suicide ranked 15th overall in the list for cause of mortality in Bathurst with 25 deaths during the five-year period. All victims were male.

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Bathurst does, however, have lower rates of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease (seven per cent less), prostate cancer (eight per cent), suicide (seven per cent) and breast cancer (nine per cent) than the national mortality rate.

Heart disease rated as the top killer for men, followed by lung cancer and stroke.

For women, heart disease also topped the list for most common cause of death, followed by stroke and dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.

If you are troubled by this report or experiencing a personal crisis, call Lifeline on 13 11 14, Beyondblue on 1300 224 636 or visit www.lifeline.org.au.