Regional analysis of circulatory disease mortality in the Czech Republic, Italy and Sweden from the 1980's to the present

Diseases of the circulatory system have long been the most frequent cause of death in the developed world. The aim of this study is to describe and analyze the evolution of mortality from selected diseases of the circulatory system in the Czech Republic, Italy and Sweden from the 1980th to the present with the emphasis on the regional aspects. Its main part consists of analysis of regional differentiation, including international comparisons. Mortality from ischemic heart disease, cerebral vascular disease and atherosclerosis decreased during the reporting period, while mortality from hypertensive diseases increased. Despite the gradual convergence, mortality rates remain distinctly different in selected countries