Comparative analysis of official IHD mortality data and Ischemic Heart Disease Register data in Kaunas middle-aged population

Abstract

Background The official mortality statistics is the main source of data for analyzing and estimating the population health state. Data of mortality from ischemic heart disease (IHD) given by official mortality statistics raise doubts all over the World, especially while using the data for estimating trends of mortality. Official mortality statistics does not avoid inaccuracies that can be detected by particular disease registers. The aim of this study was to evaluate the coincidence of mortality from IHD rates according to official mortality statistics and IHD register among Kaunas middle-aged (25–64 years) population during 1992, 1997, and 2002. Methods Data presented deals with official mortality statistics and IHD register in Kaunas population aged 25–64 years during 1992, 1997, and 2002. All mortality rates were age standardized by the direct method and using the Segi’s world population as a standard. The trends were estimated from the logarithms of the annual age-standardized rates using an ordinary linear regression. According to Kaunas official mortality statistics the out-of-hospital mortality due to IHD during the analysed years involved 522 Kaunas middle-aged residents: 422 (80.8%) men and 100 (19.2%) women. [...].