Trends in stroke and stomach cancer in Austria compared to selected Eastern and Western European countries.

The age-adjusted rates of stomach cancer in men and women aged 45-74 years tended to decrease in different countries in Europe between 3.0% and 5.3% per year over the last 10-15 years. East European countries had generally higher stomach cancer death rates than West European countries, and of these Austria and Finland had the highest rates. Stroke mortality decreased in West European countries in a similar way; the underlying factor might be salt intake. Between and also within West European countries a positive association has been found between changes in salt intake and trends in both stomach cancer and stroke mortality. In most East European countries, stroke mortality has increased. The greatest annual increases were in Poland and Czechoslovakia ranging between 2.9% and 4.8%. Thus, although the decline in stomach cancer mortality in Europe suggests a general reduction of salt intake, this alone was not sufficient to result in a decline in stroke mortality in East European countries. The stroke-salt intake association in East European countries might have been modified by other factors such as increased fat intake and obesity causing high blood pressure. Further studies are therefore needed to clarify the role of salt intake as a linking factor of stomach cancer and stroke.