Trends in ischaemic heart disease in the Hunter Region of New South Wales 1985-1989.
OBJECTIVE
To find out whether trends in rates of non-fatal myocardial infarction (MI) parallel trends in rates of coronary death.


METHODS
A population-based observational study involving continuous surveillance of all suspected heart attacks or coronary deaths from 1985 to 1989.


METHODS
Residents of the Hunter Region of New South Wales aged under 70 years.


METHODS
Rates of non-fatal definite or possible MI or fatal MI or coronary death, as defined by the diagnostic criteria of the WHO MONICA Project.


RESULTS
For men, mortality rates declined by an average of 16.2 per 100,000 per year (95% confidence interval [CI]: -23.8, -8.7); rates of non-fatal definite MI declined by 16.2 per 100,000 (95% CI: -27.8, -4.6); rates of non-fatal possible MI increased initially and then stabilised. For women smaller changes occurred in the same directions.


CONCLUSIONS
In this population trends in rates for non-fatal definite MI paralleled the declines in mortality rates. Rates for less severe non-fatal possible MI did not follow this pattern, perhaps reflecting increased medical attention to chest pain.
Dobson
A J
AJ
Centre for Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of Newcastle, NSW.
Alexander
H M
HM
Heller
R F
RF
Malcolm
J A
JA
Steele
P L
PL
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases / Q000032:analysis; D003327:Coronary Disease / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000201:enzymology / Q000401:mortality* / Q000503:physiopathology; D003402:Creatine Kinase / Q000032:analysis; D004562:Electrocardiography; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007770:L-Lactate Dehydrogenase / Q000032:analysis; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000201:enzymology / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D009206:Myocardium / Q000201:enzymology; D009517:New South Wales / Q000453:epidemiology; D012737:Sex Factors; D014944:World Health Organization
D007770:L-Lactate Dehydrogenase; D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases; D003402:Creatine Kinase