Hypertensive disease (HD) is an important cause of death in the Brazilian population. The analysis of its mortality, based only on the underlying cause of death, is underreported because, by the rules of ICD-10, it is never coded as an underlying cause of death when some other special disease is present. It also depends on how the death certificate (DC) is filled out. The aim of this study was to verify the quality of filling out and the presence of HD among the deaths of 20 to 49 year-old women, residents of the City of São Paulo, and that occurred in the first semester of 2002. Using the RAMOS methodology (through an investigation with the family and medical records of the deceased, with the preparation of a new DC and comparison with the original DC), it was possible to correct data on hypertension. A total of 1,833 deaths were analyzed, with a 60% information gain in the cases mentioning HD. Consequently, among the new DCs, the cases mentioning HD as an underlying or associated cause of death were 4.4% and 17.7%, respectively. Among deaths from cerebrovascular accidents and ischemic heart diseases as underlying causes, HD were mentioned as associated causes in 53.1% and 67.3% of them, respectively. Mentions of hypertension increased with age of death, representing 30.9% of the cases among those from 40 to 49 years of age. The current investigation provided enhanced information and a deeper knowledge of the presence of HD as a cause of death.
Mortality; Hypertension; Underlying cause of death; Women's health
