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[Trends in mortality due to cardiovascular diseases in Andalusia, Spain (1975-2004)]
Miguel Ruiz-Ramos1, Teresa Hermosín Bono, Fernando Gamboa Antiñolo
1Consejería de Salud, Junta de Andalucía, Leonardo da Vinci s/n, Isla de la Cartuja, Seville, Spain. miguel.ruiz.ext@juntadeandalucia.es
Insights
Mortality from ischemic heart disease (IHD) and cerebrovascular diseases (CVD) in Andalusia showed a significant downward trend between 1975 and 2004. Despite population aging, both absolute numbers and age-adjusted rates decreased for these cardiovascular diseases.
Area of Science:
- Epidemiology
- Public Health
- Cardiology
Context:
- Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) are a leading cause of death in industrialized nations.
- Andalusia, Spain, experienced significant demographic changes during the study period.
- Understanding disease-specific mortality trends is crucial for public health planning.
Purpose:
- To analyze mortality trends for ischemic heart disease (IHD) and cerebrovascular diseases (CVD) in Andalusia from 1975 to 2004.
- To assess changes in gross rates (GR) and age-adjusted rates (TS), and potential years of life lost (PYLL).
- To identify trend change points using joinpoint regression analysis.
Summary:
- Mortality rates for IHD and CVD in Andalusia demonstrated a statistically significant downward trend between 1975 and 2004.
- Despite an aging population, both absolute mortality counts and age-adjusted rates for CVD decreased substantially.
- While IHD mortality rates declined significantly for both sexes, absolute death counts showed varied trends, with a decrease in females and an increase in males over the period.
Impact:
- The findings highlight successful public health interventions or improved medical treatments reducing cardiovascular disease burden.
- The study provides valuable data for health policy development and resource allocation in Andalusia.
- Demonstrates the importance of long-term epidemiological surveillance for monitoring population health outcomes.
Background:
Cardiovascular diseases are ranked among the leading causes of death in the industrialized countries. This study is aimed at ascertaining the mortality trends by ischemic heart disease (IHD) and cerebrovascular diseases (CVD) in Andalusia within the 1975-2004 period.
Method:
Based on the official IHD and CVD death statistics and the related populations, the gross rates (GR) and age-adjusted rates (TS) and the Potential Years of Life Lost (PYLL) were calculated. To quantify the trends and their change points, a joinpoint regression analysis was made.
Results:
The number of IHD deaths for females rose from 2,086 deaths in 1975 to 3,336 in 2004, the TS having dropped from 74.29 to 50.94 deaths/100,000 females, the PYLL having dropped from 173.65 years to 90.56 years/100,000 females. The number of deaths for males rose from 2,854 deaths in 1975 to 4,085 in 2004, the TS having dropped from 147, 67 to 104.96 deaths /100,000 males. The PYLL showed a like behaviour from the first to the last year of the series, showing values of 716.46 and 460.04 years / 100,000 males. For the IHD in females, the number of deaths in absolute numbers dropped from 4,712 to 4,221, the TS having dropped from 166.00 to 62.08 deaths in females, and the PYLL from 338.08 to 87.63 years / 100,000 females. For males, the number of deaths dropped from 3,714 to 2,951, the TS from 206.88 deaths /100,000 males in 1975 to 76.12 /100,000 males in 2004, and the PYLL dropping from 533.12 to 182.38 years / 100,000 males.
Conclusions:
The trend in mortality due to IHD was not constant either among females or males, although it has always been a downward trend, the drop being statistically significant. The drop in the CVD has been such a major one that both the absolute numbers and the gross rates are lower for the most recent years that the first years in the series studied despite the aging of Andalusias population.
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