The origin of the modern epidemic of coronary artery disease in England

Abstract

A review of all the cases of the coroner's court for the Liberty of Ripon and Kirkby Malzeard in Yorkshire from 1855 to 1926, and those of 1981-83, showed that the number of deaths from acute coronary artery disease was very low in Victorian times, suddenly increased in the period 1906-10, and was very high in 1981-83. The population of the area was stable throughout the period at around 22 000. The number of postmortems for myocardial infarctions carried out in London hospitals was very low between 1907 and 1914, but greatly increased between 1917 and 1923. A study of autopsies in the City of London showed that the increase in the number of deaths from coronary artery disease began in 1909/10.