Mortality due to heart disease among Alaskan natives, 1955-65.

The 378 deaths among Alaskan Aleuts, Eskimos, and Indians aged 40 years and over due to diseases of the heart for the period 1955-65 were analyzed regarding certification status, sex, geographic area, and ethnic classification. Mortality rate comparisons were made both in relation to the overall U.S. rates for 1960 and to geographic area and ethnic designation within the State. Although non-medical certifications accounted for 36 percent of the total death certifications for nonviolent deaths reviewed, they did not influence rate calculations or mortality comparisons by area for the codes 410-443 as a whole. Alaska Native mortality rates for diseases of the heart per 1,000 population were 2.4 for males 40-64 years of age, 15.8 for males 65 years and over, 1.4 for females 40-64, and 14.7 for females 65 and over. For the U.S. population, corresponding rates were 5.6 and 33.1 for males and 2.1 and 24.2 for females.