Geographic distribution of mortality rate from cerebrovascular disease in European countries.

For an epidemiologic approach to the etiology of cerebrovascular disease by comparing with that of arteriosclerotic and degenerative heart diseases, the latest regional data for mortality from those diseases were collected from most European countries in 1964. The peculiar gradient of the mortality rate distribution in the respective countries is interpreted by physicochemical factors of natural environment such as climate, geology and character of water, and the socio economic factors such as urban-rural residency, status of agriculture and indus trialization, and local dietary habits. As a result, the effect of calcium and vitamin deficiencies is epidemiologically suggested for the development of cerebro-vascular disease.