CORONARY HEART-DISEASE MORTALITY AND SUDDEN-DEATH AMONG THE 35-44 YEAR AGE GROUP IN ALLEGHENY COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA

Deaths among 35- to 44-year-old black and white men and women residing in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, were investigated. All coroner-cer tified nontraumatic deaths and practitioner-certified deaths coded as heart, cerebrovascular, or arterial disease, diabetes mellitus, and su dden or ill-defined causes were studied. Using autopsy, coroner, hospi tal, physician, and/or informant information about medical history, ch aracteristics, and circumstances of death, physicians validated the de aths as due to coronary heart disease (CHD) or another cause. In 1984 to 1989, 616 deaths were investigated, 384 of which were sudden (withi n 24 hours of onset). Overall CHD mortality was 35.4/100,000/y for whi te males, 8.4/100,000/y for white females, 61.3/100,000/y for black ma les, and 19.5/100,000/y for black females. Although rates varied widel y, characteristics, circumstances, and disease history were similar ac ross race-sex groups. CHD mortality was 73% higher in black than white males. Approximately 80% of CHD deaths were sudden.