BackgroundCirculatory system diseases are the first cause of death in Brazil.ObjectiveTo analyze the evolution of mortality caused by heart failure, by ischemic
heart diseases and by ill-defined causes, as well as their possible
relations, in Brazil and in the geoeconomic regions of the country (North,
Northeast, Center-West, South and Southeast), from 1996 to 2011.MethodsData were obtained from DATASUS and death declaration records with codes I20
and I24 for acute ischemic diseases, I25 for chronic ischemic diseases, and
I50 for heart failure, and codes in chapter XIII for ill-defined causes,
according to geoeconomic regions of Brazil, from 1996 to 2011.ResultsMortality rates due to heart failure declined in Brazil and its regions,
except for the North and the Northeast. Mortality rates due to acute
ischemic heart diseases increased in the North and Northeast regions,
especially from 2005 on; they remained stable in the Center-West region; and
decreased in the South and in the Southeast. Mortality due to chronic
ischemic heart diseases decreased in Brazil and in the Center-West, South
and Southeast regions, and had little variation in the North and in the
Northeast. The highest mortality rates due to ill-defined causes occurred in
the Northeast until 2005.ConclusionsMortality due to heart failure is decreasing in Brazil and in all of its
geoeconomic regions. The temporal evolution of mortality caused by ischemic
heart diseases was similar to that of heart failure. The decreasing number
of deaths due to ill-defined causes may represent the improvement in the
quality of information about mortality in Brazil. The evolution of acute
ischemic heart diseases ranged according to regions, being possibly confused
with the differential evolution of ill-defined causes.