[Mortality of the elderly in a municipality of southeastern Brazil from 2006 to 2011]

This paper addressed the mortality rate for elderly people in Araraquara in the state of São Paulo between 2006 and 2011. An epidemiological descriptive study was conducted using data from the National Mortality Information System and the Data Analysis State System Foundation. The ratio between mortality rates by point (R) and by 95% confidence interval (IC95%) were estimated. More than 60% of elderly people had low education, and 76% of them died in hospital. For the period from 2006 to 2008 a statistically significant difference was observed between males and females, the most common causes of death being circulatory disease R = 1.41 (IC95%:1.24-1.58), respiratory problems R = 1.49 (IC95%:1.22-1.76), and cancer R = 1.79 (IC95%: 1.40-2.18). For the period from 2009 to 2011, circulatory diseases accounted for R=1.18 (IC95%:1.03-1.33)], and the differences were significant for respiratory disease R = 1.33 (IC95%:1.11-1.55) and cancer R = 1.94 (IC95%:1.53-2.35). The fourth and fifth more frequent causes of death among the elderly population were diabetes mellitus and external causes, respectively. The pattern of mortality found emphasizes the importance of actions aimed at reducing the major causes of death such as increasing the coverage of the influenza vaccine and control of hypertension and diabetes mellitus.