G. Guo, MORTALITY TRENDS AND CAUSES OF DEATH - A COMPARISON BETWEEN EASTERN AND WESTERN-EUROPE, 1960S-1980S, European journal of population, 9(3), 1993, pp. 287-312
Two distinctive mortality trends emerged in Europe between the mid-196
0s and mid-1980s. Eastern European mortality rates remained constant f
or women over 40 and increased substantially for men over 35, while mo
rtality in Western Europe decreased considerably above age 35 for wome
n and men. I examine causes of deaths, using Pollard's method of decom
posing changes in life expectancy into components specific to each age
group and cause of death. Western European success in coping with cir
culatory system diseases at middle-to-old ages are by far the most imp
ortant cause for the differing trends. Western Europe was also more su
ccessful in lowering mortality from malignant neoplasms and digestive
and respiratory system diseases primarily at middle-to-old ages.