Causes of Death Data in the Global Burden of Disease Estimates for Ischemic and Hemorrhagic Stroke

Background: Stroke mortality estimates in the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) study are based on routine mortality statistics and redistribution of ill-defined codes that cannot be a cause of death, the so-called ‘garbage codes’ (GCs). This study describes the contribution of these codes to stroke mortality estimates. Methods: All available mortality data were compiled and non-specific cause codes were redistributed based on literature review and statistical methods. Illdefined codes were redistributed to their specific cause of disease by age, sex, country and year. The reassignment was done based on the International Classification of Diseases and the pathology behind each code by checking multiple causes of death and literature review. Results: Unspecified stroke and primary and secondary hypertension are leading contributing ‘GCs’ to stroke mortality estimates for hemorReceived: July 29, 2015 Accepted: September 15, 2015 Published online: October 28, 2015 Thomas Truelsen Department of Neurology, University of Copenhagen Rigshospitalet, Blegdamsvej 9 DK–2100 Copenhagen Ø (Denmark) E-Mail thomas.clement.truelsen @ regionh.dk © 2015 S. Karger AG, Basel 0251–5350/15/0453–0152$39.50/0