[Epidemiological study of SMON death--from the observation of death certificates during a 13-year 6-month period from July 1972].
Eight hundred and twelve vital statistics death certificates, in which either the cause of death or complications was SMON, were selected from all the death certificates filed in Japan in a 13-year 6-month period from July 1972 to December 1985. In 411, or 50.6%, of these certificates, the SMON Research Committee had records of the clinical pictures as a result of the nationwide surveys conducted earlier. The epidemiological picture presented by the death certificates and the relationship between the information in these certificates and clinical records in nationwide surveys was observed. The results are summarized as follows: 1. The male/female ratio revealed in the 812 death certificates was 0.53, which is higher than those reported in nationwide surveys (0.4). 2. Although the yearly number of certificates was more than 70 in 1974 or before, it decreased year by year. The numbers in 1984 and 1985 were less than 50. 3. The leading underlying causes of death were; SMON in 44.0% of all the certificates, heart diseases in 10.3%, cerebrovascular diseases in 9.2% and malignant neoplasm in 8.6%. 4. The presence of clinical symptoms was compared between death cases and total cases reported by the nationwide surveys. Symptoms such as visual impairment and walking incapacity were seen more frequently in death cases. 5. From these results, it was suggested that the level of the severity of the disease at onset influences the long-term prognosis of the disease, although selection bias in the death certificates observed is unavoidable.
Yanagawa
H
H
Nagai
M
M
Fujita
Y
Y
Hara
N
N
Nakae
K
K
Minowa
M
M
D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D002423:Cause of Death; D003644:Death Certificates; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009422:Nervous System Diseases / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000401:mortality*; D013997:Time Factors