Status of cardiovascular disease in Puerto Rico.

For the last 40 years diseases of the heart has ranked as the primary cause of death in Puerto Rico, being cancer the second. In the National Vital Statistics of the Department of Health of Puerto Rico for the year 2002, cancer is listed as the main cause of death and diseases of the heart ranks as the second most frequent. This unexpected change is mainly due a new classification by ICD-10, that now substitutes ICD-9, in association to a change introduced by using the 2000 population census rather than the 1990 census used until 1999. Additional relevant information concerning life expectancy at birth, death by specific causes in the last 5 years and statistics about invasive surgical and medical services rendered to cardiovascular patients in the year 2003 are included. A summary of the situation concerning postgraduate training programs in Puerto Rico in different cardiovascular subspecialties is also included.