In France, cancer and heart disease largely dominate the causes of death. But not all regions are affected in the same way. In Brittany, the figures place the territory at the top of the national ranking, particularly for heart diseases.
Cancer and cardiovascular diseases account for the majority of deaths in Brittany. As elsewhere in France, but at higher levels than in many regions.
Excluding overseas territories, Brittany appears to be one of the territories most exposed to these major causes of mortality. The national health institute, Inserm, specifies the major burden of these pathologies.
The comparison is clear. Looking at the death rate figures bringing together all deaths from cancerous tumors, Brittany is doing much worse than Île-de-France, a more populated region. The rate per 100,000 inhabitants in Brittany is 246.7 while it is only 208.9 in Île-de-France.
Brittany is located at a level close to Centre-Val de Loire (250.7). Only Hauts-de-France displays a significantly higher rate (279).
These figures include all tumors. They represent, alone, the main cause of death, far ahead of respiratory diseases, diabetes, diseases of the digestive system or mental disorders.
Second cause of death: cardio-neurovascular diseases. In Brittany, the rate reaches 191.3 deaths per 100,000 inhabitants.
Here again, the region stands out. It is located well above Île-de-France (138.2) and is closer to the most affected regions such as Normandy (197.1) or Hauts-de-France (197.5).
In the national ranking, Brittany is in the leading group for mortality linked to heart and vascular diseases. These diseases have a multifactorial origin, for example tobacco consumption, alcohol consumption, high blood pressure or nutrition.
These figures come from studies based on the analysis of 2003 death certificates examined by Public Health France.
According to the first estimates for 2024 in France, mortality rates linked to cancer and heart disease would be down slightly.
Cardio-neurovascular diseases, such as heart attack, stroke or heart failure, represent just over one in five deaths in France (21.4%). They remain the second cause of mortality, even if the rates are falling slightly.
The figures also remind us that these issues concern all ages. Among children aged 1 to 14, cancers are the second cause of death behind accidents.
