Sino-MONICA Project - A collaborative study on trends and determinants in cardiovascular diseases in China, Part I: Morbidity and mortality monitoring

Background-The Sino-MONICA project is a 7-year study monitoring trends and determinants of cardiovascular disease (CVD) in geographically defined popu lations in different parts of China. Methods and Results-The study is a community-based prospective disease surv eillance that uses the methodology and criteria of the World Health Organiz ation's Monitoring Trends and Determinants in Cardiovascular Disease (WHO M ONICA) project, with slight modifications for local use. After a pilot stud y of 2 years (1985 through 1986), data collection started formally on Janua ry 1, 1987, and ended on December 31, 1993. The main results were as follow s. By international standards, both the incidence and mortality rate of cor onary heart disease in Chinese populations were low. The highest incidence was 108.7 of 100 000 (1987 to 1989), and the lowest was 3.3 of 100 000 for men 35 to 64 years of age, a 33-fold difference. Both the incidence and mor tality rate of cerebrovascular disease were high. The highest incidence was 553.3 of 100 000 (1987 to 1989), and the lowest was 33.0 of 100 000 for me n 35 to 64 years of age, a 17-fold difference. There were significant geogr aphic variations in both CVD incidence and mortality rate, with higher rate s in the north and lower rates in the south. During 1987 to 1993, increasin g trends were found in CVD rates in some populations, whereas decreasing tr ends were found in others. The trends were not significant statistically in most cases. Conclusions-Monitoring CVD with international standardized methods in China is feasible and urgently needed in view of the rapid socioeconomic develop ment and transition of disease patterns taking place in China. The results are of significance in combating CVD both at home and abroad.