International trends in cardiovascular disease--implications for prevention and treatment.

Stroke mortality is declining fast in many countries (this decline being due, in part, to treatment), with implications for medical care and for coronary disease incidence, but in some European countries rates are rising. Coronary mortality is decreasing fast in some countries, probably because of a fall in incidence; dietary and other life-style changes are likely to be involved, but lack of systematic monitoring inhibits firm conclusions. In other countries with comparable medical care the rates have not declined, and in eastern Europe and sections of developing populations they are rising fast. Some implications are discussed.