Did the 1918 influenza cause the twentieth century cardiovascular mortality epidemic in the United States?

PeerJ

article

Steven Tate¹  Jamie J. Namkung²  Andrew Noymer³ 

[1] Pritzker School of Medicine, University of Chicago;Program in Public Health, University of California;Department of Population Health and Disease Prevention, University of California

关键词: Heart disease;    Influenza;    Epidemiology;    Demography;    Public health;   

DOI  :  10.7717/peerj.2531

学科分类：社会科学、人文和艺术（综合）

来源: Inra

【 摘 要 】

During most of the twentieth century, cardiovascular mortality increased in the United States while other causes of death declined. By 1958, the age-standardized death rate (ASDR) for cardiovascular causes for females was 1.84 times that for all other causes, combined (and, for males, 1.79×). Although contemporary observers believed that cardiovascular mortality would remain high, the late 1950s and early 1960s turned out to be the peak of a roughly 70-year epidemic. By 1988 for females (1986 for males), a spectacular decline had occurred, wherein the ASDR for cardiovascular causes was less than that for other causes combined. We discuss this phenomenon from a demographic point of view. We also test a hypothesis from the literature, that the 1918 influenza pandemic caused the cardiovascular mortality epidemic; we fail to find support.

【 授权许可】

CC BY