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Background: Within the European Union (EU), substantial efforts are being made to achieve economic and social cohesion, and the reduction of health inequalities between EU regions is integral to this process. This paper is the first to examine how self-reported conditions and non-communicable diseases (NCDs) vary spatially between and within countries. Methods: Using 2014 European Social Survey (ESS) data from 20 countries, this paper examines how regional inequalities in self-reported conditions and NCDs vary for men and women in 174 regions (levels 1 and 2 Nomenclature of Statistical Territorial Units, 'NUTS'). We document absolute and relative inequalities across Europe in the prevalence of eight conditions: general health, overweight/obesity, mental health, heart or circulation problems, high blood pressure, back, neck, muscular or joint pain, diabetes and cancer. Results: There is considerable inequality in self-reported conditions and NCDs between the regions of Europe, with rates highest in the regions of continental Europe, some Scandinavian regions and parts of the UK and lowest around regions bordering the Alps, in Ireland and France. However, for mental health and cancer, rates are highest in regions of Eastern European and lowest in some Nordic regions, Ireland and isolated regions in continental Europe. There are also widespread and consistent absolute and relative regional inequalities in all conditions within countries. These are largest in France, Germany and the UK, and smallest in Denmark, Sweden and Norway. There were higher inequalities amongst women. Conclusion: Using newly available harmonized morbidity data from across Europe, this paper shows that there are considerable regional inequalities within and between European countries in the distribution of self-reported conditions and NCDs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Deaths from diseases of the circulatory system and the seasonality of deaths from these causes fell sharply between 1995 and 2005 among older age groups in Ireland. We examine whether a structural break occurred in deaths from circulatory causes in Ireland between 1995 and 2005 and test whether this can be statistically accounted for by cardiovascular prescribing during the same period controlling for weather trends. Methods: Grouped logit time series models were used to identify if and at which quarter a structural break occurred in Irish circulatory deaths between 1995 and 2005. Data on cardiovascular prescribing and temperature within the quarter were entered into the trend-break model to account for the structural break. Results: Controlling for temperature, β-blocker, ace-inhibitor and aspirin medications rendered the structural break indicator insignificant among all age groups for men. Diuretic, statin and calcium channel blocker medications could not account for the break point for men aged 75–84 years. β-Blocker, aspirin and calcium channel blocker medications account for mortality trends among all age groups among women. Ace inhibitor and statin could not account for trends amongst women aged 65–74 years and nitrates and diuretics did not account for trends for any age group. Conclusions: Cardiovascular prescribing accounts for the trend break in circulatory mortality among men and women aged ≥65 years after 1999 in Ireland but the effect of prescribing is lower for women. β-Blocker, ace inhibitor and aspirin medications were more successful than statin, diuretic and nitrates in accounting for the trends. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]