Geographical and socio-economic variations in ischaemic heart disease in men in Hong Kong.

Variations in Ischaemic Heart Disease mortality in men in Hong Kong were analysed using registered deaths from 1976 to 1981 and the 1981 Census population, and earlier years. Age-specific rates in Hong Kong as a whole are lower than in Britain and in the USA and have changed relatively little over the past ten years. Standardised Mortality Ratios (SMRs) for districts, Proportional Mortality Ratios (PMRs) for occupations, and Direct Age-Standardized Mortality rates were calculated, using the whole of Hong Kong in 1981 as the standard. In 1981 the SMRs for the affluent districts were significantly high while the SMRs of the most rural areas were significantly low. Although the affluent districts had high proportions of non-Chinese deaths, these were not sufficient to explain the high SMRs. In affluent districts there were high proportions of professional, administrative and managerial workers who had significantly high PMRs for Ischaemic Heart Disease. The district SMRs were positively correlated with the proportions of these workers. The conclusion is that in Hong Kong in 1981, higher levels of socio-economic status were associated with higher levels of Ischaemic Heart Disease in men. Further studies are being made, and attention will be paid in risk-factor studies to areas and population groups with higher risks.