Cancer is the biggest killer in Northern Ireland, claiming almost 4,000 lives last year, and numbers are rising, it was revealed today.
More than half of all people who died in the province did so as a result of three main diseases — cancer claiming 4,000, heart disease, 2,400 and stroke 1,300.
However people are living considerably longer than 30 years ago.
The figures were released by the Executive as Health Minister Michael McGimpsey announced the extension of breast screening for women up to the age of 70.
A total of 14,900 deaths were registered in 2008, a slight increase on the previous year.
But while those from heart disease have halved from 4,800 to 2,400 in the past 30 years, those from cancer have gone in the opposite direction — up from 2,900 in 1978 to the 4,000 of last year.
Drink and drug related deaths have also substantially increased over the past decade.
There were 276 alcohol related deaths in 2008 — 185 men and 91 women — up from 158 a decade earlier.
Drug related deaths more then doubled from 40 to 89 over the same ten years.
The average age at death was 71.8 years for men and 78.5 years for women, up six years for men and seven years for women over the past three decades.
But with lengthening life, there has been a marked increase in deaths recorded due to Alzheimer's and other forms of dementia. In 2008 there were 290 deaths recorded as due to Alzheimer's and a further 520 due to other forms of dementia.
A spokesman for the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency said: "Cancer continues to be the most common cause of death. As the population ages we are also witnessing an increase in the number of Alzheimer's and other dementia related deaths."
Meanwhile Mr McGimpsey announced breast screening for women aged 50 to 64 was being extended to 70 and would save lives.
He said: "Each year around 1,000 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in Northern Ireland and approximately 300 women will die.
The Northern Ireland Breast Screening Programme detects annually approximately 300 women with this disease.
"The extension of the screening to the age of 70 will save lives and I would encourage everyone invited for an appointment to attend — it could be the difference between life and death."
PA