Objective: To monitor the incidence change of acute coronary heart events in the all-ages farmers in Panyu District, Guangzhou City during 1991-2001 and 2010-2011.
Methods: The surveillance on the same defined population as that from the PRC-USA cooperative epidemiologic project on the cardiovascular and pulmonary diseases 30-year ago was carried out in Panyu, Guangzhou in 1991-2001 and 2010-2011. The crude incidence of acute coronary events and the age-standardized incidence rate were calculated by the year, gender and age, and standardized with the world standard population age distribution. Incidences at the two different periods were compared. The annual average changing rate of the incidence was obtained by the regression analysis methods.
Results: In the 11 consecutive years of 1991-2001, a upward trend on the incidence of acute coronary events among the farmers in women in Panyu District was found (P < 0.05). The incidence of the acute coronary events in the year of 2010-2011 was significantly higher than that in the year of 1991 to 2001 [34.06 per 100 000 (age-adjusted rate as 28.50 per 100 000) versus 16.14 per 100 000 (age-adjusted rate as 16.57 per 100 000), P < 0.05]. The age-adjusted rate increased by 83.04%. Peak incidence of acute coronary events in males was noticed in 75-79 age group, and in 80-84 age group in females. Comparing to the period of 1991-2001, the largest incidence increases appeared in the age groups of 35-39 and 75-79 years in males, while in the age groups of 50-54 and 65-69 years in females. Up to 47.37% (36/76) events occurred on the age group older than 75 years, raised by 40.44% comparing to that in 1991-2001 (33.73%, 56/166).
Conclusions: The incidence of acute coronary events among farmers in Panyu District is at middle or low level of China but there is an increasing trend in acute coronary incidence from 1991 to 2011. Our results suggest that the prevention and treatment on acute coronary syndrome should be strengthened, and especially on the age group with the largest increase of disease incidence.