Abstract
Death rates from coronary heart disease (CHD) were rising in Italy until the mid-1970s, and then a decline occurred until the early 1980s (−16% in men, −27.1% in women). The increasing trends in CHD mortality following World War II can be explained by changes in the diet, traditionally poor in animal fats and rich in carbohydrates, towards more Westernized eating habits and by the documented increase in mean serum cholesterol. The recent decline in CHD mortality is partly explained (theoretically, about 60%) by the decrease in the estimated coronary risk, as measured in national samples (−10% in males and −13% in females). There have been slight decreases in smoking habits in men, in body weight in women, and in blood pressure in both sexes, largely related to better control of hypertension. Some indirect documentation suggests there has also been a favourable influence of improved medical care.
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