BACKGROUND: Community-wide trends data for @entity1164 ( @entity1164 ) are scarce, unlike widely reported declines in @entity65 ( @entity65 ) mortality. Using administrative data, we aimed to examine population-level trends in @entity1164 , stratified by sex, age and prior @entity65 hospitalisation. METHODS: @entity1 -linked mortality and hospital morbidity data were used to identify @entity1164 and determine hospitalisation and comorbidity using a 10-year hospitalisation lookback period. Log-linear Poisson regression was used to calculate annual rate changes and rate ratios. RESULTS: In Western Australia, 7160 @entity1164 cases were identified from 1997 to 2010 with males comprising 69%. Overall age-standardised @entity1164 rates decreased by 17% in @entity1 and 31% in @entity1 from 1997-2001 to 2007-2010. The annual rate reduction was higher in @entity1 than @entity1 (-4.0%/year versus -2.3%/year; p=0.0039). Significant reductions were observed for 55-69 year-old and 70-84 year-old @entity1 and @entity1 but not for the 35-54 year-olds. The overall relative risk comparing @entity1 to @entity1 increased slightly from 2.4 in 1997 to 3.0 in 2010 (trend p=0.0039) but differed across age groups. The relative risk declined in 35-54 year-olds from 5.1 to 3.2 whereas it increased from 2.9 to 3.9 in 55-69 year-olds and 1.9 to 2.3 in 70-84 year-olds. Declining trends in @entity1164 rates were observed in those with and without prior @entity65 and were similar to @entity65 mortality trends (-4.9%/year in @entity1 and -5.5%/year in @entity1 ). CONCLUSIONS: Trends in rates of @entity1164 fell in middle to older aged @entity1 and @entity1 , with and without @entity65 , and mirrored the fall in fatal @entity65 . Limited improvement in 35-54 year-olds requires further investigation.

Temporal Trends in XXXX From 1997 to 2010: A Data Linkage Study.

@entity1164 :: ('MESH:D016757', 'Disease') :: ['sudden cardiac death', 'SCD'] @entity1 :: ('9606', 'Species') :: ['Person', 'women', 'men'] @entity65 :: ('MESH:D002318', 'Disease') :: ['CVD', 'cardiovascular disease']
@entity1164 :: (MESH:D016757,Disease) :: ['Sudden Cardiac Death']
