Abstract

Study objective: Within Europe, a pronounced geographical gradient of mortality from ischaemic heart disease has been observed with the highest burden in the north east and the lowest in the south west. The study objective was to compare mortality from ischaemic heart disease between former East and West Germany since reunification.

Design: Analyses of age standardised mortality rates from ischaemic heart disease (ICD-9 410–414, ICD-10 I20–I25) between 1990–1991 and 2000.

Setting: Former East and West Germany.

Main results: After a peak in the early 1990s, mortality from ischaemic heart disease has substantially declined in both parts of Germany (from 222 to 169 per 100 000 in the East and from 150 to 116 per 100 000 in the West). The regional difference, however, remained rather constant: the rate ratio between the pooled mortality in the East compared with the West was 1.51 (95% CI 1.46 to 1.56) in 1991 and 1.45 (95% CI 1.39 to 1.50) in 2000. These rate ratios were higher in women (1.63 in 1991 and 1.52 in 2000) compared with men (1.45 and 1.44, respectively).

Conclusions: Within Germany, there has been a pronounced east-west gradient of mortality from ischaemic heart disease since reunification. Further insight into possible underlying reasons may lead to improved preventive strategies.