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DEATH RATE—LONDON (A.C.) AND ENGLAND & WALES 1936-1956
The fact that the overall sex ratio of the death rates is less than that for any of the
age groups shown is because at age 75 years and over there are about twice as many
women as men in the population and as the death rates are nearly comparable at this age
there is, as can be seen from the table, a much larger number of women dying from
heart disease.
It is difficult to believe that the marked female advantage in rates below 75 years,
particularly in the 45-64 age group, is due wholly to the greater toughness of women
and one is drawn to the hypothesis that in addition to the nature of the work undertaken,
the strain of being the main income earner with all its attendant problems of travel,
promotion, unemployment and so on is a factor in accounting for the sex differential,
particularly when the balance is largely reduced in later (non-earning) years.
The whole question may also be examined from the aspect of the contribution of
the various components that go to make up the heart group. These are, in order of
ascending magnitude, chronic rheumatic heart disease (International List Nos. 410-416),
heart disease due to hypertension (440-443), other heart disease (421-434) and coronary
disease, angina (420). The order has changed over the period; until 1952 other heart
disease ranked highest, from 1953 top place has been taken by coronary disease, angina.
The all age death rates for the years under review for the different components are set
out in the following table:
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