Contents
Summary
The Belgian National Burden of Disease Study quantifies the health impact of 38 key diseases using Disability-Adjusted Life Years (DALYs), which indicate healthy years lost due to illness and death. This chapter focuses on estimating the disease burden linked to various risk factors, emphasizing that a significant portion is preventable by addressing modifiable risk factors such as tobacco use, alcohol use, dietary risk, or physical activity. Other risk factors, such as metabolic, and environmental risks, will also be considered. The portion of the disease burden that could be reduced by minimizing or eliminating exposure to risk factors is called the attributable burden. The attributable burden due to a risk factor can be expressed in terms of morbidity and mortality.
Smoking is causally linked to the burden of 35 diseases including 16 types of cancer, 5 cardiovascular diseases, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and asthma.
In 2021, tobacco use was responsible for 9,362 deaths, accounting for 8.3% of all deaths in Belgium. The leading causes of death due to tobacco use where namely lung cancer, COPD, and ischemic heart disease.
The disease burden related to smoking is mostly borne by men and the elderly.
Despite a decrease, the death rate remains highest in the Walloon Region, followed by the Brussels Capital Region, with smoking-related death rates 50% higher in the two regions compared to the Flemish Region. Among EU-14 countries, Belgium ranks 5th worst for smoking-related deaths.
Alcohol consumption contributes to the burden of 34 diseases, including neoplasms, injuries, and digestive disorders. In 2021, alcohol use was responsible for 4,022 deaths in Belgium, accounting for 3.6% of all deaths in the country. The leading causes of alcohol-related deaths were cirrhosis of the liver, alcohol use disorders, and colorectal cancer.
Since 2013, there has been an overall increasing trend in alcohol-attributable mortality rates across regions, with the highest increase in the Brussels Capital Region.
Alcohol consumption significantly contributes to the burden of 34 diseases, including neoplasms, injuries, and substance use disorders. In 2021, it was responsible for 4,022 deaths in Belgium, accounting for 3.6% of all deaths and resulting in 101,368 years of life lost. The leading causes of alcohol-related deaths were cirrhosis of the liver, alcohol use disorders, and colorectal cancer.
The disease burden from alcohol consumption disproportionately affects men. Since 2013, there has been an overall upward trend in alcohol-attributable mortality rates across regions, with the most pronounced increase observed in the Brussels-Capital Region. Belgium's alcohol-attributable mortality rate is comparable to the EU-14 average.