Contour Maps of Leading causes of Death: an overview of the Italian EpidemiologicalTransition in the XX Century

In this paper we provide a detailed picture of the trends of cause-specific mortality occurred in Italy- in the XX century. First, considering the Italian mortality data by age and sex for large groups of causes of death, we review the epidemiological transition in Italy through the contour maps of the first leading cause of death from 1895 to 1994. Second, focusing on more recent years (1969-2001), we analyze the mortality profiles through the surfaces of the first leading cause of death within the two groups of cardiovascular diseases and cancers. The resulting detailed picture of mortality dynamics helps to drive public policies towards more suitable and prompt interventions.