Objective: To describe the epidemiologic characteristics of cerebrovascular disease (CVD) mortality in China from 2004 to 2005.
Methods: The data came from 2004-2005, the third national mortality retrospective sampling survey which collected the death cause information and covered 31 province-level regions and 160 surveillance spots in the interior of China. Total 142 660 482 person years were investigated. Based on the data, the crude death rates of ages, genders and diseases were calculated. Years of potential life lost (YPLL) were also calculated. Standardized death rates were calculated from census data in 2000 and each five-year was counted as an age group.
Results: The total number of residents died of CVD between 2004 and 2005 was 194 932 (male 108 414, female 86 518, urban 63 397, rural 131 535) in survey districts. The crude death rates of CVD were 136.6 per 100 000 and the standardized death rate was 120.1 per 100 000. The crude death rates of CVD were 148.6 per 100 000 in male and 124.1 per 100 000 in female; the standardized death rates were 144.2 and 98.2, respectively. The crude death rates of CVD were 132.4 per 100 000 in urban area and 138.8 per 100 000 in rural area; the standardized death rates were 107.3 and 127.6 per 100 000 population, respectively. With age increasing, the crude death rates of CVD showed a fast growth trend. The crude death rates of group aged 35 - 39, 55 - 59, 85 and above were 10.6 (1352/12 712 639), 177.6 (10 599/5 967 274) and 4051.4 (25 430/627 688) per 100 000 respectively. Intracerebral hemorrhage accounting for 50.4% (98 324 cases) of CVD deaths, followed by cerebral infarction, accounting for 24.8% (48 305 cases). The total cases of stroke, hemorrhagic stroke, ischemic stroke and not-specified stroke were 167 147, 105 766, 48 305 and 13 076, respectively, and the crude death rates were 117.2, 74.7, 33.9 and 11.3 per 100 000, respectively. The YPLL of Chinese people was 535.5 person years per 100 000.
Conclusion: The mortality of CVD in male was higher than that in female; the mortality of CVD in urban area was higher than that in rural area. As the age increasing, the mortality of CVD appeared a rapid increment. Intracerebral hemorrhage was the main cause of CVD death.