Introduction:

In the last decade, due to the demographic transition and the increase of the global population, the number of deaths from cardiac ischemic disease (CID) and cerebrovascular disease (CVD) have been on the rise. CID and CVD are the main causes of mortality in Colombia. However, there is scarce information comparing the mortality rates between the two diseases.

Objective:

To describe and compare the mortality rates of CID and CVD in Colombia from 1995 to 2020.

Method:

A descriptive, longitudinal, retrospective, and ecological study with data extracted from the National Administrative Department of Statistics (DANE) on CID and CVD mortality in adults older than 20 years from 1995 to 2020. Mortality adjusted rates by age and gender were calculated. A qualitative comparative analysis was performed.

Results:

The Colombian population grew 39% from 1995 to 2020, in the age group older than 74 years 165% in men and 187% in women. CID was the leading cause of mortality until 2019, with the highest mortality rate in the age group of women older than 74 years. In the studied period, the mortality rates increased 67% for CID and decreased 17.5% for CVD, divergence more pronounced from 2010.

Conclusion:

In Colombia, from 1995 to 2020, there was a divergence in the mortality rates of CID and CVD, with an increase in the former and a decrease in the latter. A more notable trend from the year 2010. Further studies are required to evaluate determining factors for this behavior and to be able to generate strategies to reduce mortality from vascular disease.

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