Four decades on mortality due to high blood pressure in Venezuela: 1968-2008

Mortality rates (MR) are basic health indicators also use for decision making on macro-economic and social issues. Hoping to help with the efficient dissemination of information, we present four decades of mortality due to high blood pressure in Venezuela 1968-2008. Mortality rates per 100 000 inhabitants were calculated and adjusted (ADR) by the direct method to the WHO’s standard population due to high blood pressure, IDC-10 (I10 to I15) using official data. ADR are presented in range, ADR Total: 18.0 to 29.2; ADR male: 17.2 a 30.1 and ADR female 16.7 a 28.3. Trends ADR have a multimodal profile for both male and female, with gender differences. Trend on ADR differ from age specific mortality rates (45-64 and ≥65 years old) from higher that female for all the period. From 1995 to 2008 the proportion of high blood pressure in the mortality due to CVD was higher for female (range 9.3 % to 14.4 %). There is a need to develop chronic diseases surveillance systems to address issues concerning capacity building, quality assurance of data and effective dissemination of informationA.