Goal: The aim of this study is to present mortality indicators for ischemic heart disease (IHD) in Croatia and compare them with indicators of other countries in Europe and the European Union.

Materials and Methods: This study was based on mortality data from the Eurostat and the Croatian Bureau of Statistics. The data were processed as part of routine mortality statistics of the Croatian Institute of Public Health.

Results: Ischemic heart disease (I20-I25, ICD 10) was the second leading cause of death in Croatia in 2021, after the disease COVID-19. (1) A total of 7839 people died from IHD, which accounts for 12.50% of all deaths. Ischemic heart disease in 2021 was the most common cause of death in women with 3976 deaths and a share of 12.59% of all deaths in women, while it was the second leading cause of death in men with 3863 deaths and a share of 12.41% of all deaths in men. In total, the most frequent cause of death from this group is chronic IHD (I25) with 4782 deaths, followed by acute myocardial infarction (I21) with 3006 deaths. Observing the period from 2002 to 2019, there is a trend of decreasing mortality from IHD by 32.36% in Croatia. According to the Eurostat, the age-standardized mortality rate from IHD has fallen from 305.6/100.000 in 2002 to 206.7/100.000 in 2019, which currently ranks Croatia 7th out of 34 European countries (including all EU countries) in terms of mortality from IHD. (2) According to national data, the age-standardized mortality rate from IHD is higher in the continental and lower in the coastal area of Croatia. (3) In addition, age-specific mortality rates for IHD, both in men and women, increase with age and are higher in men than in women. A more intensive increase starts from the age group of 45-49 years in men and 55-59 in women. From the age of 80, mortality rates for women approach or exceed the rates for men.

Conclusion: Ischemic heart disease, as a significant cause of death in Croatia, is a major public health problem, therefore it is necessary to invest additional efforts at all levels in prevention, early diagnosis and adequate treatment of this condition.