Rheumatic fever and rheumatic heart disease in Serbia Proper, Yugoslavia, 1970-1979.
The occurrence of rheumatic fever and rheumatic heart disease in the period 1970-1979 is analysed on the basis of morbidity and mortality data. It was found that: Rheumatic fever first attacks rate and rheumatic fever recurrent attacks rate in 1979 were by 80% and 91% lower respectively, compared with 1970 rates; The disease became milder and the number of RF with heart involvement decreased especially in population over 19 years old; In the ten year period mortality rate from rheumatic fever and rheumatic heart disease decreased 2.8 times; In the age group 15-24 mortality did not decline so noticeable and mortality rate in this age group is still ten times higher than the same rate in the most developed countries; Among all defined causes of death (except accidents), in the age group 15-24, rheumatic fever and rheumatic heart disease (taken together) fell from first or second place to the eleventh or tenth place in the last years under review; One can expect that the declining trend of morbidity and mortality from rheumatic fever and rheumatic heart disease will continue though probably slower then in the preceding period.
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D012213:Rheumatic Fever / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000401:mortality; D012214:Rheumatic Heart Disease / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000401:mortality; D015022:Yugoslavia