Universa Medicina
Vol. 45 No. 2 (2026): Ahead Of Print

Association between homicide and myocardial infarction mortality: a population-level analysis in Mexico from 2000 to 2019

Omar González-Santiago (Coordination of the Pharmacy Graduate Program, Faculty of Chemical Science, Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León, Monterrey, Nuevo León, México)



Article Info

Publish Date
09 Jun 2026

Abstract

BackgroundGlobally, violent deaths represent a serious public health issue, and Mexico has shown an increase in homicides. Exposure to violence has been linked to adverse mental and physical health outcomes, including cardiovascular disease. However, population-level evidence linking homicide mortality to myocardial infarction (MI) mortality remains limited. This study assesses the association between homicides and mortality from myocardial infarction in Mexico from 2000 to 2019. MethodsThis ecological time-series study used national mortality data from the Mexican National Institute of Statistics and Geography (INEGI). Adjusted annual mortality rates were calculated. Mortality trends were evaluated using Joinpoint software. The association between homicides and other causes of mortality was analyzed using Pearson correlation and univariate and multivariate regression analyses. ResultsDuring the study period, the average adjusted mortality rates were 16.8/100,000 for homicides and 67.4/100,000 for myocardial infarction. Both homicide and MI mortality rates increased significantly over time. In simple linear regression, homicides only showed significant associations with myocardial infarction (B=0.55, p<0.05). In multivariate regression analyses, homicide mortality remained significantly associated with MI mortality after adjustment for unemployment, gross domestic product per capita (GDP-PC), and diabetes mortality, although the association was attenuated when suicide mortality was included in the model. ConclusionAt the population level, from 2000 to 2019 both homicide and MI mortality rates increased significantly, while homicides were positively associated with myocardial infarction mortality in Mexico.  Elevated homicide rates act as a population-level stressor that coincides with higher mortality from heart attacks.

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Journal Info

Abbrev

medicina

Publisher

Subject

Health Professions Immunology & microbiology Medicine & Pharmacology Public Health

Description

Universa Medicina (univ.med) is a four-monthly medical journal that publishes new research findings on a wide variety of topics of importance to biomedical science and clinical practice. Universa Medicina Online contains both the current issue and an online archive that can be accessed through ...