[Cardiovascular disease mortality trends in Croatia from 1968 to 1985].

In the period from 1968 to 1985, the mortality from cardiovascular diseases in Croatia was increasing. In age specific rates (0-44, 45-64 and 65+), mortality in males was remarkably higher than that for women. Considering the deaths from ischemic heart disease (ICD code 410-414) as one and deaths from all other cardiovascular diseases as another group, the analysis of the mortality by age shows greater sex differences for ischemic heart diseases. The presented data reveal a particularly interesting fact: in 1980, in the age group 65+ (70% of men and 90% of women suffering from cardiovascular diseases are in that age group), there was a steep decrease in the ischemic heart disease mortality, and, at the same time, a sudden increase in the mortality of all other heart diseases. It suggests that there were no real changes in the mortality pattern, the changes being the consequence of the difference in causes of death registration on the basis of the IX ICD revision.