Coronary heart disease mortality in Auckland Maori and Europeans

This paper investigates the differential between Maori and European coronary heart disease mortality in Auckland by analysing data from an Auckland register of coronary heart disease. The age standardised coronary heart disease mortality rate for Maori men is 1.6 times higher than for European men, and the rate for Maori women is 4.2 times higher than that of European women. Maori mortality is disproportionately high for women, and for the younger age groups. Maori and European who died of definite myocardial infarction in Auckland between 1983-86 showed little difference in severity of coronary artery occlusion at post mortem, and the likelihood of cardiomyopathy contributing a major part to Maori heart disease mortality is small.