Geographical Epidemiology of Cardiovascular Diseases in Zanjan Province: Analysis of Groups from the International Classification of Diseases, 10th Revision

Background 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 Methods: This cross-sectional study was carried out at Zanjan University of Medical Sciences. Patients with a discharge diagnosis of CVDs (I00-I99 group of ICD-10 codes) who were hospitalized from 2012-2019 were selected as a study sample. All spatial analyses were performed in ArcGIS 10.7, and descriptive analysis was conducted by R (v3.6.0) and RStudio (v1.2.1335) software. Results: The ischemic heart disease subgroup accounted for the majority of CVD cases (43.8%), while acute rheumatic fever (0.03%) was the least common contributor to CVD. Men had a higher rate of CVD (53.1%) than women (46.9%). The mean age of all CVD subgroups was 56.88 years, and the mean length of stay of all CVD subgroups was 114.2 hours. Zanjan city (57.4%) 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 Ayatollah Mousavi Zanjan, Iran, to plan CVD prevention programs.