Recent trends in coronary heart disease and other cardiovascular diseases in Italy

Trends in death rates from coronary heart disease (CHD) in Italy in the period 1970-1979 suggest a continuous rising of mortality in males until 1976-1977 followed by a plateau or a slight decrease in the next 2 years; whereas an 11.5% decrease has been observed in females aged 35-74. Looking at the whole group of cardiovascular diseases it appears that a continuous and clear decline in stroke mortality (-14.6% in males and -22.0% in females aged 35-74) explains almost completely the overall decrease of cardiovascular mortality observed during the period 1970-1979 which corresponds to -8.4% in males and -24.3% in females. Limited and unrepresentative data from population samples studied between 1960 and 1980 suggest an increasing incidence of CHD which is compatible with parallel changes of some risk factor levels. In the 1970s a continuous increase of fat consumption and of cigarette consumption has been balanced by an increase of prevalence of controlled hypertensives, by an increase of leisure physical activity, by an increasing availability of coronary care units and consumption of beta-blockers. It is likely that in the late 1970s a plateau was reached in the coronary epidemic.