EPIDEMIOLOGICAL CHANGES IN CORONARY ARTERY DISEASE IN BRAZIL

Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) are the leading cause of death in Brazil. The main etiologies are ischemic heart disease (IHD) and stroke. Since 1984, we have observed a continuous and significant reduction in mortality from these diseases in men and women, but the death rate was consistently higher in men than in women. The prevalence and death rate from CVD predominated in the South and Southeast and capitals in the 1990s. In the 2000s, we observed the proximity of CVD mortality in the five regions due to the more significant reduction in mortality in the South and Southeast. The proximity of stroke mortality trends occurred earlier than those due to IHD, reflecting the population's greater awareness of hypertension control. Between 2007 and 2012, we had a short interruption in the downward trend in the IHD death rate in women and men, but not for all CVD and stroke, which continued to decline. However, from that period, the downward trend continued. Recent studies showed that mortality from all causes of cancer would exceed mortality from CVD in the population aged between 35 to 74. The intensification of primary prevention with greater access to a healthy life and control of risk factors can have an even more significant impact on reducing mortality from CVD.