Socioeconomic inequalities and premature mortality due to cardiovascular diseases in Brazil

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the relationship between some indicators of socioeconomic status and adult mortality due to cardiovascular diseases in Brazil. METHODS: Adult deaths (aged between 35 and 64 years) due to cardiovascular diseases and subgroups of ischemic heart disease and cerebrovascular-hypertensive diseases were assessed during the period from 1999 to 2001. Data was obtained from the National Mortality Information System. Ninety-eight Brazilian municipalities with the best quality of information were included in the study. Simple and multiple linear regression methods were used to assess the association between socioeconomic indicators and mortality due to cardiovascular diseases. RESULTS: Univariate analysis revealed a negative association between mortality due to cardiovascular and cerebrovascular-hypertensive diseases and income and education and a direct association with poverty rates and poor housing conditions. In regard to ischemic heart disease, there was an inverse association with poverty rates and education indicators and a direct association with poor housing conditions. After adjusting to other variables, education still remained associated to mortality due to cardiovascular disease and its subgroups. For each percent point increase in adults with high level of education, there was a decrease of 3.25 per 100,000 inhabitants in the mortality rate due to cardiovascular diseases. CONCLUSIONS: The analysis of mortality in those municipalities has shown there is an inverse association between cardiovascular diseases and social and economic factors, especially education. Is it likely that better education can improve life conditions and thus have a positive impact on premature mortality.