Headlines - Regional Disparities in Premature Mortality from Cardiovascular Disease in France

Cardiovascular diseases are the second leading cause of death and the third leading cause of premature death (before age 65) in France. The study presented in the Weekly Epidemiological Bulletin (BEH) of September 23 provides a recent mapping of regional disparities for four cardiovascular conditions: ischemic heart disease, cerebrovascular disease, heart failure, and pulmonary embolism. Premature cardiovascular mortality in 2008–2010. Premature mortality accounted for 10.0% of overall cardiovascular mortality and ranged from 5.6% for heart failure to 17.3% for pulmonary embolism in France. The standardized rate was three times higher among men than among women for all cardiovascular diseases. Burgundy stood out with excess mortality (+11.3%) linked to pulmonary embolism, while regional excess mortality for other cardiovascular diseases there was similar to the national average. Neither Burgundy nor Franche-Comté showed deviations greater than 20% or lower than the national average. Mortality trends. Between 2000–02 and 2008–10, a significant decrease in premature mortality was observed, with a national reduction of 21.7% for all diseases and nearly 40% since the early 1980s. Franche-Comté showed no significant change in cerebrovascular diseases, pulmonary embolism, and heart failure, and recorded a significant decrease in ischemic heart disease (-19.4%). Burgundy showed significant decreases in ischemic heart disease (-29.9%), heart failure (-35.8%), and pulmonary embolism (-19.2%), but no significant change in cerebrovascular diseases.Despite an overall decrease in premature mortality, regional disparities persist, with higher rates in northern France. These disparities may be linked to geographical variability in the main risk factors and in care. The respective contributions of these various factors remain to be determined.