STROKE MORTALITY-RATES IN POLAND DID NOT DECLINE BETWEEN 1984 AND 1992

Background and Purpose Stroke mortality has decreased in most industri alized countries in recent decades. Ln Poland, as in other eastern Eur opean countries, mortality rates for stroke remain high. Methods The W arsaw Stroke Registry (WSR) registered patients in the Mokotow distric t of Warsaw from 1991 through 1992. The Warsaw Pol-MONICA study regist ered stroke patients in the North and South Praga regions of Warsaw fr om 1984 through 1992. Stroke incidence rates, case-fatality rates, and stroke mortality rates were computed based on both studies and compar ed with published mortality rates based on death certificates. Eight-y ear trends of stroke incidence, case-fatality rate, and mortality were derived from the Warsaw Pol-MONICA study. Results The WSR and Warsaw Pol-MONICA studies showed similar incidence rates, mortality rates, an d 28-day case-fatality rates for stroke. Mortality rates from the WSR and the Warsaw Pol-MONICA study were similar to rates from death certi ficate data. Mortality rates in the group aged 35 to 64 years were hig her in men (47.5 to 50/100 000 per year) than in women (30/100 000 per year). Conclusions Two different population-based studies suggest tha t stroke mortality is high in Poland because of high 28-day case-fatal ity rates. Stroke mortality failed to decline in Poland in the period 1984 through 1992 because neither case fatality nor stroke incidence d eclined in this period.