RESUMO
The ways of developing the mortality rate from respiratory and cardiovascular diseases have been studied in the Ukrainian SSR according to the data of the Bureau (Centre) of Health Statistics, Ministry of Health of the Ukrainian SSR, analysis of 18 thousand of death certificates in a number of regions of the Republic, analysis of materials of 545 autopsies in persons aged 75 and over. As a result of the studies conducted it was found that the mortality rate from respiratory diseases did not reflect the real mortality. The main inaccuracies in defining respiratory diseases as a cause of death were found in the age group of 60 and over and especially in the group of 75 years and over as the diagnoses in this age group were practically not verified.
