Abstract
Background: Although having a long tradition in cardiovascular epidemiologic research, nationwide data on cardiovascular disease (CVD) incidence and morbidity has not been available in Norway. Objectives: The main objectives of The Cardiovascular Disease in Norway (CVDNOR) project are 1) to study trends in CVD incidence, prevalence, survival and mortality and 2) providing CVD endpoints for national and regional health surveys and clinical studies. Methods: CVDNOR includes information from all hospital stays with a CVD, including congenital heart defects, or diabetes mellitus (DM) primary or secondary diagnosis code during 1994-2009. Information was retrieved from the electronic Patient Administrative Systems (PAS) from all Norwegian somatic hospitals. Data include age, gender, municipality of residence, hospitalization and discharge dates, main and secondary diagnoses and CVD-related procedure codes. All deaths due to CVD or DM are also included, as well as sociodemographic information and linkage to Cohort Norway (CONOR). In sub-projects we have also linked CVDNOR to the Medical Birth Registry of Norway and to the Cancer Registry. Results: During 1994-2009, 1.3 million patients (4.3 mill hospitalizations) had a CVD diagnosis or procedure code, or DM. Of these, 470895 (35.8%) died during 1994-2010. In addition, 68523 men and women died from CVD without being hospitalized for CVD or DM during the same period. Among 173243 CONOR participants, 9075 (5%) died after participating in the health survey and through 2010. A total of 44118 (25.5%) CONOR participants had a CVD and 7575 (4.4%) had a DM related hospitalization after participating in CONOR, through 2009. In CVDNOR, 53039 (4%) had congenital heart defect codes. Conclusions: CVDNOR will be a valuable source of information supporting future epidemiologic research, with important implications for prevention and treatment strategies.
Highlights
During the last decades, cardiovascular disease mortality has decreased substantially in Norway [1,2] as in other Scandinavian and western European countries [3,4,5]
The Norwegian Patient Register, containing information on all patients hospitalized at Norwegian hospitals since 1990, has the potential to overestimate the true number of hospitalizations and cannot provide information on incidence, due to the lack of personidentifiable information until 2008
The linked datasets will provide the opportunity for future research projects, and will be a valuable resource for epidemiologic studies
Summary
Cardiovascular disease mortality has decreased substantially in Norway [1,2] as in other Scandinavian and western European countries [3,4,5]. Until 2012, a national register on cardiovascular disease (CVD) This has hampered studies of incidence and survival as well as aetiologic research nationwide. Findings from regional studies may not be generalizable to the general Norwegian population To fill this gap of knowledge on one of the most important sources of morbidity and mortality in the Norwegian population and elsewhere, the CVDNOR project was planned. Objectives: The main objectives of The Cardiovascular Disease in Norway (CVDNOR) project are 1) to study trends in CVD incidence, prevalence, survival and mortality and 2) providing CVD endpoints for national and regional health surveys and clinical studies. Methods: CVDNOR includes information from all hospital stays with a CVD, including congenital heart defects, or diabetes mellitus (DM) primary or secondary diagnosis code during 1994-2009. Conclusions: CVDNOR will be a valuable source of information supporting future epidemiologic research, with important implications for prevention and treatment strategies
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
