The number of myocardial infarctions is higher than expected. The incidence is similar to that found in other studies. A vast majority of the cases of death were men.

Introduction: Public health organizations have recommended restricted access and safe storage practices as means to reduce firearm injuries and deaths. We aimed to assess the effect of four firearm restrictions on firearm deaths in Norway 1969–2009. Methods: All deaths due to firearm discharge were included (5,660 deaths, both sexes). The statistical analysis to assess impact of firearm legislations was restricted to males because of the sex disproportionality (94% were males). Results: A total of 89% of firearm deaths (both sexes) were classified as suicide, 8% as homicide, and 3% as unintentional (accident). During the past four decades, male accidental firearm death rates were reduced significantly by 90%. Male firearms suicide rates increased from 1969 to 1991 by 166%, and decreased by 62% from 1991 to 2009. Despite the great reduction in male accidental firearm deaths, we were unable to demonstrate effects of the laws. In contrast, we found that a 1990 regulation, requiring a police permit before acquiring a shotgun, had a beneficial impact on suicide in the total sample and in those aged 15–34 years. Male firearm homicides decreased post-2003 regulation regarding storing home guard weapons in private homes. Conclusions: Our findings suggest that two laws could have contributed to reduce male firearm mortality. It is, however, a challenge to measure the role of four firearm restrictions. The null findings are inconclusive, as they may reflect no true impact or study limitations.

Norway has among the highest prostate cancer mortality rates in the world. The aim of the present project was to assess whether this can be explained by the unique routine procedure of information transfer from the Cancer Registry of Norway (CR) to the Norwegian Cause of Death Registry (COD Registry). Norwegian prostate cancer patients deceased during 1996 were identified (n=2012). The information basis of the official mortality statistics was reviewed by two physicians, who independently identified the underlying cause of death, primarily prostate cancer or not, supplemented by consensus of two other physicians. The coding was done in two steps; first without, then with CR information. Project physicians identified 1063 deaths from prostate cancer as compared to the official number of 1161, with discrepancy as to prostate cancer death in 126 deceased. Information from the CR increased the project's age-adjusted (world standard population) prostate cancer mortality rate by less than 1% (from 22.7 to 22.9 per 100,000). In conclusion, the high rates of prostate cancer mortality in Norway could not be explained by information transfer from the CR to the COD Registry.

With the clear limitations of a small cohort, our results do hint at an effect of talc dust on mortality from NMRD other than pneumoconiosis, covered by a strong and persisting healthy worker effect. Also, an effect on CVD mortality, masked by a healthy worker selection into the cohort cannot be ruled out. Excess mortality from pneumoconiosis seen in other studies, may reflect exposure to quartz and, possibly, bias due to comparability problems.

BackgroundSuicide is a relatively rare incident. Nevertheless, parts of the literature on intentional self-harm behaviour state that suicide is one of the leading causes of death. We aimed to assess the evidence behind the statement that suicide is a leading cause of death across all ages, with reference to the methods of ranking causes of death.MethodsTwo sets of data were used: For the European Union (EU) we used cause specific mortality statistics from the European Statistical Office (Eurostat) for the data-year 2014, and globally and for the WHO European Region we used data from Global Health Estimates (GHE) 2015. We used different sets of rules to select mutually exclusive leading underlying causes of mortality for Europe (EU28). We also present lists with estimates of leading causes of death globally, and for the WHO European Region based on the GHE 2015.ResultsIn 2014, 1.2% of all reported deaths in the Europe Union (EU28) were due to suicide, and 1.4% globally (2015) according to the WHO estimates. In Europe, suicide was ranked as number 11 and 15 in the two different ranking lists we used, and according to GHE-2015, suicide was ranked as the 17th leading cause globally, and number 14 in the WHO European Region. Looking at the differences by sex, suicide for males was ranked as the ninth and the tenth leading cause of death in two ranking lists for the European Union. For females, suicide was number 13 in the first and 23 in the second list, respectively.ConclusionsDifferent cause lists and rules for ranking produce different leading causes of mortality. The quality of data can also affect the ranking. Our rankings suggested that suicide was not among the ten leading causes of death in Europe or globally. To ensure that ranking causes of death is not driven by political motives and funding considerations, standard methods and official tabulation lists should be used. The rankings do not necessarily present the causes of mortality of greatest public health importance.