title: [The epidemiological situation of cardiovascular diseases in the Lodz region compared to Poland at the beginning of the 21st century].
abstract: The paper aims at presenting selected elements of the epidemiological situation concerning cardiovascular diseases (CVD) in the Lodz region compared to Poland. The analysis contained in our paper draws on the latest version of the WHO mortality database, data provided by the Ministry of Health, the Central Statistical Office and the database of the Lodz Regional Centre of Public Health. Mortality rates due to CVD were subject to direct standardisation in order to remove the bias stemming from different age structures of the compared populations.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The population of the Lodz region is characterised by the highest feminisation rate as well as the strongest ageing process nation-wide. The standardised mortality rates due to CVD in 2002 in the Lodz region amounted to 455.76 per 100,000 in the general population, 450.70 among males, and 463.74 among females, whereas the respective indices for Poland were as follows: 442.82, 432.77, and 452.26. Furthermore, we present the data on death causes by ICD-10 groups and categories, with a particular attention paid to the coronary heart disease and the cerebrovascular diseases.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Taking into account the epidemiological situation due to cardiovascular diseases (CVD), the Lodz region occupies an unfavourable position on the map depicting the health status of Poland. One of the relevant indicators is the highest mortality rate due to CVD across all Polish regions.
authors.affiliation: Katedra Medycyny Społecznej i Zapobiegawczej Uniwersytetu Medycznego w Lodzi. i.m.b@gazeta.pl
authors.forename: Irena
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Maniecka-Bryła
authors.forename: Marek
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bryła
authors.forename: Wojciech
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Drygas
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000401:mortality* / Q000517:prevention & control; D002423:Cause of Death; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006331:Heart Diseases / Q000401:mortality; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000401:mortality; D017202:Myocardial Ischemia / Q000401:mortality; D011044:Poland / Q000453:epidemiology; D011314:Preventive Health Services / Q000458:organization & administration; D012307:Risk Factors; D017678:Sex Distribution; D015996:Survival Rate; D014505:Urban Population / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*