Comparison of the decline in the ischaemic heart disease mortality rate in the RSA with that in other Western countries.

South African age-adjusted ischaemic heart disease (IHD) mortality rates (MRs) in the age group 35-74 years were compared with equivalent IHD MRs of five Western countries for the period 1968-1983. South African Asians had higher IHD MRs than all the other countries studied, and South African whites had among the highest despite the declines in rates over the period studied. Although the younger South African age groups had the greatest decline in IHD MRs, in the age group 35-44 years and 45-55 years South African rates still remain higher than those for the five other Western countries studied. Overall, the South African whites' ranking, compared with the other Western countries studied, had changed from the 2nd highest in 1970 to 4th position for males and 3rd for females in 1982.