title: [Increase in mortality for motor neuron disease in Italy, 1980-1999].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To describe the mortality rates for motor neuron disease (MND) in Italy both at national level and at three large geographical sub-areas (Northern, Central, Southern Italy).
  
  
  METHODS
  Deaths for MND are coded accordingly to ICD (IX revision) with 335.2 code. Mortality for MND is analysed for the period 1980-99. Mortality rates are age-standardized on the structure of the 1991 Italian population. Mortality data are derived from the National Institute for Statistics (ISTAT) and are made available by the Epidemiological Database of the Italian National Agency for New Technologies, Energy and the Environment (ENEA).
  
  
  METHODS
  Age adjusted mortality rates for MND are calculated for 5-year periods (1980-84, 1985-89, 1990-94, 1995-99) at both national level and three geographical sub-areas (north, center and south); sex and age specific mortality rates are also reported for two decades (1980-89 and 1990-99).
  
  
  RESULTS
  During 1980-99 the annual age-standardized mortality rate in Italy was 1.35 x 100000 in males and 1.10 (x 100000) in females. In the period 1995-99 the mortality rates increased by 39.3% in males and 78.2% in females at national level when compared to 1980-84 rates (1.56 vs 1.12 deaths per 100000 for males and 1.39 vs 0.78 per 100000 for females in 1980-84 and 1995-99, respectively). In the three large geographical sub-areas such increases were 37.6%, 29.7% and 57% in males and 73%, 63.1% and 114.3% in females, respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The increase reported in this study is probably due to a mix of different factors as population ageing (age-specific rates reach a peak in the age class 70-74 years), better accuracy of death certificates, adoption of new clinical criteria and at last a wide spread of environmental risk factors (metals, solvents, pesticides, electromagnetic fields) and modification of life style (smoking, diet, professional sport).
authors.affiliation: Sezione di tossicologia e scienze biomediche, ENEA (Casaccia), Roma.
authors.forename: Pierluigi
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Altavista
authors.forename: Stefano
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Belli
authors.forename: Alessandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Binazzi
authors.forename: Pietro
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Comba
authors.forename: Marina
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mastrantonio
authors.forename: Raffaella
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Uccelli
authors.forename: Nicola
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Vanacore
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002391:Catchment Area, Health; D003644:Death Certificates; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007558:Italy / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016472:Motor Neuron Disease / Q000401:mortality*; D012042:Registries