Contributions of cardiovascular mortality to Spanish life expectancy from 1980 to 2009

This article describes the contribution of the decrease in cardiovascular mortality to the increase in life expectancy at birth in Spain from 1980 to 2009. We explain the demographic factors underlying the decrease in mortality from cardiovascular diseases at older ages and the effect of this decrease on lifespan.

The contribution of these decreases to Spanish life expectancy at birth was calculated using decomposition methods for life expectancy. We calculated standardized mortality rates by sex and 3 causes of death (cerebrovascular disease, ischemic heart disease, and other heart disease) for 3 age groups: 65 to 79 years, 80 to 89 years, and ≥ 90 years.

From 1980 to 2009, life expectancy at birth in Spain increased by more than 6 years for both sexes. The contribution of the decrease in cardiovascular mortality to the total increase in life expectancy at birth was 63% among women and 53% among men. Among the ≥ 65-year-old age group, this contribution was 93% among women and 87% among men.

The decrease in cardiovascular mortality, mainly at older ages, has been the main contributor to increased Spanish life expectancy at birth during the last 3 decades.