Mortality in Colombia due to cerebrovascular disease compared to coronary ischemic disease: 1995-2020

Introduction:In the last decade, due to the demographic transition and growing global population, the number of deaths from ischemic heart disease (IHD) and cerebrovascular disease (CVD) have been on the rise.Ischemic heart disease and CVD are the main causes of mortality in Colombia.However, there is scant information comparing the mortality rates between the two diseases.Objective: To describe and compare the mortality rates of IHD and CVD in Colombia from 1995 to 2020.Method: This was a descriptive, longitudinal, retrospective, ecological study using data extracted from the National Administrative Department of Statistics (DANE, in Spanish) on IHD and CVD mortality in adults over the age of 20 from 1995 to 2020.Age-and sex-adjusted mortality rates were calculated.A qualitative comparative analysis was performed.Results: The Colombian population grew 39% from 1995 to 2020, with those in the over-74 age group increasing by 165% for men and 187% for women.Ischemic heart disease was the leading cause of mortality until 2019, with the highest mortality rate in women over the age of 74.In the study period, mortality rates increased 67% for IHD and decreased 17.5% for CVD, with more pronounced divergence after 2010.Conclusion: In Colombia, from 1995 to 2020, there was a divergence in the IHD and CVD mortality rates, with an increase in the former and a decrease in the latter.This trend was more notable after 2010.Further studies are required to evaluate determinant factors for this behavior and to be able to create strategies to reduce mortality from vascular disease.