Assessment of Overall and Coronary Mortality Observed in the Turkish Adult Risk Factor Survey

Findings of the Turkish Adult Risk Factor Study pertaining to coronary morbidity and mortality in the past 13.5-year period were assessed. Epidemiological methods applied were as previously described. Total fallawup amounted to 39,540 person-years, during which 410 cases of death were ascertained. Distribution of main ca u ses were coronary hem·t disease (CHD) deathin 39% and cerehrovascular in ll%. Estimated annual all-cause mortality amounted to 10.4 per mil/e, coronary mortality to 4.0 per mil/e. In the age-bracket 45-74 years, total mortality was 15.2 and coronary mortaliıy 6.0 per mille, with an insignificanttrend lawards decline in the fatter half of the period. All-cause mortality was slightly but significantly (p=0.046) tower in urban areas with 9.6 per 1000 person-years, compared to JJ .6 in rural areas. in the /ası survey in 2004, a total of31 cases of new fatal and nonfatal CHD were recorded. When results of the la st two surveys are combined, the annual rat e of new coronary event s were estimated as 11.7 per mi/le among adults aged >33 years. This pointed to a continued ri se of CH D event s in the pa st few years. In conclusion, a high ra te of cardiovascular deaths persisted among Turkish adults, but a diminishing trend of age-standardized coronary mortality was noted among women. Nonetheless, the overall ineidence of new coronary events apparently continued to rise among adults, probably al so secondary to an aging of the population.