Exploring Spatiotemporal Patterns of Cardiovascular Disease in Greece: Insights from the ATTICA Study (2002-2022)

The objective of this study was to investigate spatiotemporal variability of cardiovascular disease (CVD) occurrence and identify spatial clusters on Attica region (Greece), over a 20-year period (2002-2022). The 10- and 20-year occurrence of fatal and non-fatal cardiovascular disease was obtained from the ATTICA study, which was conducted between 2002 and 2022. The sample used in this analysis included 1,935 (49,8% males) and 1,902 participants (49.5% males), respectively. CVD occurrence rate at the municipality level were mapped, and spatial autocorrelation analysis was performed to identify statistically significant clusters and outliers in the Attica region. The mapping of CVD occurrence rates revealed an observable increase in most municipalities during the observation period. In addition, a statistically significant clustering of high CVD occurrence rates was found in the most urbanized municipalities of the study area over the period under study. These findings underscore the need for targeted interventions, focusing on urban populations, to effectively address this trend.