Geographical Epidemiology of Cardiovascular Diseases in Zanjan Province: Analysis of Groups from the International Classification of Diseases, ۱۰th Revision

Background and Objective: Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are the most common chronic diseases and the leading cause of death in the world and in Iran. The aim of this study was to explore the geographical epidemiology of CVDs in the province of Zanjan, Iran. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study was carried out at Zanjan University of Medical Sciences. Patients with adischarge diagnosis of CVDs (I۰۰-I۹۹ group of ICD-۱۰ codes) who were hospitalized from ۲۰۱۲-۲۰۱۹ were selected as a study sample. All spatial analyses were performed in ArcGIS ۱۰.۷, and descriptive analysis was conducted by R (v۳.۶.۰) and RStudio (v۱.۲.۱۳۳۵) software. Results: The ischemic heart disease subgroup accounted for the majority of CVD cases (۴۳.۸%), while acute rheumatic fever (۰.۰۳%) was the least common contributor to CVD. Men had a higher rate of CVD (۵۳.۱%) than women (۴۶.۹%). The mean age of all CVD subgroups was ۵۶.۸۸ years, and the mean length of stay of all CVD subgroups was ۱۱۴.۲ hours. Zanjan city (۵۷.۴%) had the greatest incidence rate of CVDs in Zanjan province, Iran. Conclusion: Geographical epidemiology studies can identify the pattern of CVD distribution in different areas and can be helpful in preventing CVDs. A spatial-temporal pattern of CVD distribution provides crucial information for health development planning in Iran. The findings of this study provide useful information for health authorities in Zanjan, Iran, to plan CVD prevention programs.

Keywords:

Cardiovascular Diseases , Epidemiology , Geographic information systems , International classification of diseases