title: Downward trend in the prevalence of hospitalisation for atherothrombotic disease.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The prevalence of hospitalised atherothrombotic disease affecting the coronary, cerebrovascular and peripheral vasculature is expected to increase due to improving survival, ageing and changing risk factor profiles. This study determined sex, age-standardised and age-specific (35-54, 55-69, 70-84years) prevalence of atherothrombotic disease and its association with diabetes and chronic kidney disease in Western Australian residents from 2000 to 2007.
  
  
  METHODS
  In a cross-sectional and longitudinal study, person-linked hospitalisations for atherothrombotic disease were obtained using records from 1985. From 2000 to 2007, total and vasculature-specific prevalence of atherothrombotic disease (as a principal diagnosis) was calculated using a 15-year lead-in to determine prior disease and comorbidity.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In 2007, 45,916 (8.6%) men and 22,782 (4.3%) women in Western Australia had established atherothrombotic disease and about 25% had diabetes, 10% had chronic kidney disease, and 5% had both. From 2000 to 2007 the estimated average annual change in age-standardised atherothrombotic disease prevalence was -0.6%/year (95% CI -0.8, -0.4) in men and -0.7%/year (95% CI -1.0, -0.4) in women. Similar modest declines were seen in age-standardised prevalence of monovascular and polyvascular atherothrombotic disease. The proportion of cases with diabetes increased by about 5%/year, the proportion having chronic kidney disease increased slowly in women (1.5%/year) and was stable in men, and the proportion with both comorbidities increased at about 9%/year.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The age-standardised prevalence of atherothrombotic disease requiring hospitalisation has been in marginal decline in Western Australia this decade, despite the proportion of affected persons with diabetes and/or chronic kidney disease steadily rising.
authors.affiliation: School of Population Health, University of Western Australia, Australia. Tom.Briffa@uwa.edu.au
authors.forename: Thomas G
authors.initials: TG
authors.lastname: Briffa
authors.forename: Lee
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Nedkoff
authors.forename: Matthew
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Knuiman
authors.forename: Paul E
authors.initials: PE
authors.lastname: Norman
authors.forename: Joseph
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hung
authors.forename: Graeme J
authors.initials: GJ
authors.lastname: Hankey
authors.forename: Peter L
authors.initials: PL
authors.lastname: Thompson
authors.forename: Elizabeth
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Geelhoed
authors.forename: Siobhan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hickling
authors.forename: Frank
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Sanfilippo
authors.forename: Alexandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bremner
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hobbs
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D050197:Atherosclerosis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000628:therapy; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006760:Hospitalization / Q000639:trends*; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D013927:Thrombosis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000628:therapy; D014904:Western Australia / Q000453:epidemiology