A comparison of median ages of death in people with cystic fibrosis from 11 countries

Data: Mortality data for Cystic Fibrosis for the years 1974-1994 were collated from national departments of mortality statistics in 11 countries; England and Wales, Scotland, Ireland, France, Belgium, Germany (prior, to 1989 only West Germany), USA, Australia, New Zealand, Sweden and Holland. Analysis: These data were analysed in five year age bands and the annual median age of death for each country calculated. Countries were compared using the odds of age of death above the overall annual international median age of death for the nations studied over two periods of time using logistic regression, 1980-1987 (10 countries with compatible data available) and 1980-1994 (7 countries with compatible data available). Results: Median age at death increased with time in all countries, the highest at the end of the period being 27 years (Ireland) and the lowest being 13 years (Sweden). International comparison using logistic regression for countries with data available was: Country Odds ratio Confidence limits USA 1.0 Baseline Eire 0.94 0.78-0.13 p=0.53 Sweden⁺ 0.64 0.40-1.02 p=0.06 Australia 0.57 0.48-0.68 p<0.001 England & Wales 0.57 0.51-0.63 p<0.001 Holland 0.56 0.44-0.70 p<0.001 Scotland 0.40 0.30-0.53 p<0.001 Odds of death from cystic fibrosis at above median age of death for any year 1980-1994 in 7 countries. ⁺1981/83/85/87 missing and previous year used. Conclusion: The median age of death from cystic fibrosis increased over the period 1974 to 1994 in the 11 countries studied. However, there remains a significant heterogeneity between the median age of death in different countries.