title: Trends in fatal and nonfatal strokes among persons aged 35 to > or =85 years during 1991-2002 in Finland.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Declining trends in the incidence and mortality of stroke have been observed in Finland since the beginning of the 1980s until 1997. In this study we analyzed the trends in fatal and nonfatal strokes in Finland during 1991-2002.
  
  
  METHODS
  The Finnish Hospital Discharge Register was linked to the National Causes of Death Register to produce a Cardiovascular Disease Register, which includes data on 410 760 cerebrovascular events (International Statistical Classification of Diseases, 10th Revision [ICD-10] codes I60-I69) in patients aged > or =35 years in 1991-2002.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Age-standardized incidence of first-ever stroke (ICD-10 codes I60-I64, excluding I63.6) per 100 000 persons declined during 1991-2002 annually by 2.2% (95% CI, -2.4% to -1.9%) among men and 2.5% (-2.8% to -2.2%) among women aged 35 to 74 years. In patients aged 75 to 84 years, the change in the incidence of first-ever stroke was -2.6% per year (-3.0% to -2.2%) among men and -3.2% per year (-3.5% to -2.9%) among women. A similar trend was observed also in the oldest age group, in patients aged > or =85 years. Among patients aged 35 to 74 years, the 28-day case fatality of first-ever stroke declined annually by 3.2% (-3.9% to -2.5%) among men and by 3.0% (-3.8% to -2.2%) among women. A significant decrease was found in the 28-day case fatalities of all subtypes of stroke in this age group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The favorable development in stroke incidence, mortality, and case-fatality has continued in Finland during 1991-2002.
authors.affiliation: KTL/National Public Health Institute, Helsinki, Finland.
authors.forename: Pia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Pajunen
authors.forename: Rauni
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Pääkkönen
authors.forename: Helena
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Hämäläinen
authors.forename: Ilmo
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Keskimäki
authors.forename: Tiina
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Laatikainen
authors.forename: Marja
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Niemi
authors.forename: Hannu
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Rintanen
authors.forename: Veikko
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Salomaa
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000375:Aging; D002561:Cerebrovascular Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000401:mortality; D005260:Female; D005387:Finland; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012042:Registries; D012737:Sex Factors; D020521:Stroke / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000401:mortality*; D013997:Time Factors