Trends in stomach cancer and stroke in Finland. Comparison to northwest Europe and USA.

Abstract

The mortality rates of stomach cancer and stroke were found to decrease in a similar way over a given time in different countries. The same phenomenon can be observed in Finland for both sexes. Salt is suggested to be the linking factor in the stroke-stomach cancer relationship. Recent studies indicate that salt intake in Finland is very high. Actual salt consumption levels are in Finland as high as they were in Belgium 15 years ago. The same observations can be made for cerebrovascular and stomach cancer mortality, making the salt hypothesis plausible. In contrast from 1972-73 on stroke mortality decreases faster than stomach cancer mortality. This could be observed in other western countries: USA, Austria, England and Wales, Belgium, West Germany, etc. The steeper decline may be the consequence of mass drug treatment of hypertension which started in Finland during the early years of 1970's, and also the consequence of changes in dietary habits, especially in fat intake in Finland.