Original scientific paper
Epidemiology of cardiovascular diseases in Primorsko-goranska County in the period 1999 – 2008.
Tomislav Rukavina
; Department of social medicine and epidemiology, Faculty of medicine, University of Rijeka, Rijeka, Croatia
Abstract
Aim: Non-communicable diseases, especially cardiovascular diseases, malignancies, diabetes and chronic respiratory diseases represent a major threat for human health and development worldwide. This group of diseases cause 35 million deaths annualy which globaly represents 60 % of all causes of death, while in developing countries this proporti on reaches 80 %. Given the signifi cance of cardiovascular diseases in overall morbidity and mortality of the populati on at the global level, the aim of this study was to display
the size of problem in Primorsko-Goranska County based on available health-stati sti c data. Methods: The paper analyzed data on mortality and morbidity of the populati on of the County which were published in the Health-Stati sti cal Yearbook. Data are presented as absolute values, and mortality rates are for comparison with similar data from the literature, age standardized to the European populati on. Furthermore, the proporti ons of the analyzed diseases were calculated in relati ons to data on the overall morbidity and mortality. Results: The analysis of mortality data shows that cardiovascular diseases are the most important causes of death of the populati on of the County. Diseases from this group occupy the fi rst places on
the lists of causes of death among men and among women. Age standardizati on results show that the mortality from cardiovascular diseases in Primorsko-Goranska County is located somwhere in the middle on the list of European countries. Discussion and Conclusions: Although the age standardized mortality rates from cardiovascular diseases in Primorsko-Goranska County are lower compared to the average values in Croati a and in a number of countries in the surroundings, values which are obtained are considerably greater than in some developed European countries, as well as in neighboring Slovenia. Today it is generraly accepted that it is possible to reduce up to 50 % of early deaths and disability from cardiovascular diseases. That is possible to achieve by strenghtening activities in the field of health promoti on and education, especially in primary care, but also in specialistic and hospital health care.
Keywords
cardiovascular diseases; epidemiology; morbidity; mortality; Primorsko-Goranska County
Hrčak ID:
53221
URI
Publication date:
7.6.2010.
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