Regional and urbanization differentials in coronary heart disease mortality in the United States, 1968-85.

Regional and urbanization differentials in coronary heart disease (CHD) mortality among white males aged 35-74 years have been examined during 1968-78 and 1979-85. Many of the differentials in CHD mortality found during 1968-78 persisted during 1979-85, e.g. the west had the lowest death rates. Fringe metropolitan (suburban) areas had low rates, and CHD death rates continued to decline, albeit at a faster rate. The urbanization pattern observed for the south differed from that for other regions; the core metropolitan area had the lowest CHD death rates in the south, but the highest in the other regions. The removal of arteriosclerotic cardiovascular disease deaths from the CHD rates under ICD-9 resulted in decreases in CHD mortality between 1978 and 1979 with large decreases in the South and in core metropolitan areas. Indeed, decreases in the core metropolitan areas of the midwest and west were so large that the urbanization pattern changed.