Geographic distribution of cerebrovascular disease and environmental factors in Japan

In Japan cerebrovascular disease is a dominant cause of death, although the overall death rate has recently declined. The age-adjusted death rate for cerebrovascular disease is higher in Japan than in any European countries, whereas the crude death rate appears to be higher in some European countries than in Japan.

The age-adjusted death rate for cerebrovascular disease is highest in the northeastern prefectures of the main island (Tohoku Region), and lower in the southwestern, especially in prefectures surrounding the Inland Sea Seto, with the exception of the northernmost island of Hokkaido.

As for the cause of such a peculiar pattern some factors are suspected such as ambient temperature, local agricultural products, dietary habits biased to rice with salty foods, and the biogeochemical environment in these volcanic islands.