Trends in standardized mortality rates for select groups of cardiovascular diseases in Slovakia between 1980 and 2010

Objectives: Reducing mortality due to cardiovascular diseases especially in people less than 65 years is one of the main targets of WHO preventive programs. This work aimed to analyse recent trends in cardiovascular mortality rates in Slovakia. Study design: A descriptive study was implemented with a Joinpoint analysis. Methods: Analysis was of annual all circulatory, acute myocardial infarction mortality, and cerebrovascular disease mortality rates, between 1980 and 2010 for Slovakia. Data were stratified by sex and 10-year age group (age 25-85 years). The annual percentage change (APC) and significant changes in the trend were identified using joinpoint Poisson regression. Results: The standardized mortality rate for all cardiovascular diseases declined in Slovakia between 1980 and 2010 by 25.7% and 30.5% for men and women, respectively. Joinpoint analysis of all cardiovascular disease mortality rates demonstrated statistically significant changes in trends of APC decline for both genders. For men, acceleration in the rate of decline between 2001 and 2010 was observed APC -2.2 (95% CI = -3.5, -1.2) following a slowing of the rate of decline between 1980 and 2001, when the APC reached -0.5 (95% CI = -0.8, -0.3). For women the trend was similar. Between 2003 and 2010 acceleration in the decline was demonstrated APC -2.8 (95% CI = -4.3, -1.4). Conclusion: The results of our analysis demonstrate the need to constantly address issues of cardiovascular diseases, as mortality rates in Slovakia are among the highest within the European Union countries in the long term. (C) 2015 The Royal Society for Public Health. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.