[Smoking-attributable deaths in Spain in 1998].
BACKGROUND
Between 1993 and 1997, smoking prevalence remained stable in Spain yet age-adjusted death rates by smoking-related diseases decreased. Our study aimed to estimate the burden of smoking-attributable mortality in Spain in 1998.


METHODS
Spain's smoking prevalence, mortality and relative risks for death from the Cancer Prevention Study II were used to estimate smoking-attributable mortality in the population aged 35 years and over.


RESULTS
In 1998, 55,613 deaths were attributable to smoking. One out of 4 deaths in males and one out of 40 deaths in females were attributable to tobacco. Two thirds of the attributable mortality corresponded to deaths due to lung cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, ischemic heart disease and stroke.


CONCLUSIONS
Smoking actually represents a remarkable burden of avoidable deaths in Spain. Smoking-attributable mortality appears to continue increasing in the last years.
Banegas Banegas
J R
JR
Departamento de Medicina Preventiva y Salud Pública, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Spain. joseramon.banegas@uam.es
Díez Gañán
L
L
Rodríguez-Artalejo
F
F
González Enríquez
J
J
Graciani Pérez-Regadera
A
A
Villar Alvarez
F
F
D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000209:etiology* / Q000401:mortality*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017202:Myocardial Ischemia / Q000209:etiology* / Q000401:mortality*; D015995:Prevalence; D029424:Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive / Q000209:etiology* / Q000401:mortality*; D013030:Spain / Q000453:epidemiology; D014029:Tobacco Use Disorder / Q000150:complications*