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52
General
Total deaths in the country rose by 0.3% during the year but
in Greenwich there was a minimal decrease. Increased mortality
from heart disease and cancer was offset by falls in deaths from
cerebrovascular and respiratory diseases. Reduction in respiratory
deaths may well be a reflection of the increase in hours of sunshine
by 15% and the decrease of 30% in total rainfall during the current
year.
Although, statistically, variations in rates may sometimes seem
substantial, in many instances actual numbers are small and lead to
wide and often only temporary fluctuations.
Heart Disease
Recognised as the principal "killer" complaint of modern times
this classification, covering as it does (a) chronic rheumatic, (b)
hypertensive, (c) ischaemic and (d) other forms of heart disease,
it was responsible for 849 deaths (467 males and 382 females)
during the current year. This total, which was an increase of 37
over that of the previous year, formed 33.3% of the total deaths
from all causes and gives a rate of 3.73 per 1,000 of the population.
The rate for 1968 was 3.55.
Deaths in the Borough from ischaemic heart disease alone
accounted for 666 (383 males and 283 females), some 34 more than
the 632 who died from this disease in 1968. Of the 383 males
who succumbed from this cause, 35% were between the ages of 45
and 65 years compared with less than 11 % of similarly grouped
females.
Compared with figures for England and Wales and Greater
London of 2.86 and 2.65 respectively, the Borough rate was 2.93.
Cerebrovascular Disease
Of the total of 258 deaths arising from cerebrovascular disease
during the year, 140 were females. Apart from ischaemic heart
disease, this constituted the main cause of death in females, being
responsible for almost 12% of all female deaths during the year.
As expected, the greater proportion of these deaths, viz. 119 (85%)
occurred in women over the age of 65 years and only 4 (2.8%) in
those under 55 years.
The present rate of 1.13 shows a slight decrease from that for
1968.
Cancer
Second only to heart disease as the principal cause of death in
the community, this disease, which has so many psychological