Deaths from ischaemic heart disease in White South Africans, 1963-1977

The mortality rates for ischaemic heart disease (IHD) in White South Africans are presented for the years 1963-1977. There has been no increase in mortality from IHD over this period. The mean values of the age- and sex-specific mortality rates follow exponential functions in groups over the age of 10 years. The observed values fit the mathematical functions with coefficients of determination greater than 0,998. Some implications of this finding are briefly discussed.