Cardiovascular mortality and its relation to socioeconomic levels among inhabitants of Sao Jose do Rio Preto, Sao Paulo State, Brazil

Objective: To analyze cardiovascular mortality indicators in Sao Jose do Rio Preto - a city in the State of Sao Paulo, Brazil - and to evaluate the municipality's mortality rates by socioeconomic levels. Methods: Data used came from the Mortality Information System and from the Information and Computing Department of the federal government's Unified Health System (SUS). Standardized mortality rates and proportional cardiovascular mortality rates were calculated. A thematic map of the demographic census sectors of the city's urban area - grouped according to socioeconomic levels - was drawn up and is presented with the respective rates. Results: The municipal, state, and national mortality rates decreased in the course of the 1980-2002 period. The municipal mortality rate in 2003 stood at 195.9 deaths per 100,000 inhabitants, with proportional cardiovascular mortality at 31.3%. The three main causes of death were cerebrovascular disease, myocardial infarction, and hypertensive disease. The mortality rate for the population corresponding to the group featuring the lowest socioeconomic levels was 40% higher than that of the group comprising the highest socioeconomic levels. Conclusion: The cardiovascular mortality rate decreased in the three geographical areas analyzed. This group of diseases was responsible for approximately one-third of all deaths in Sao Jose do Rio Preto in 2003. The area with the lowest socioeconomic level presented the highest mortality rate.