Cluster Analysis of Noncommunicable Diseases in Portugal

The most common noncommunicable diseases, such as cardiovascular diseases, cancer or respiratory diseases, are a problem in global and national growth. The World Health Organization (WHO) considers it a priority to study the specific causes of these diseases for trend monitoring. The aim is to identify a hierarchy of clusters of Portuguese mortality by noncommunicable diseases using the ascending hierarchical classification methodology. The results identifying three clusters A, A2 and B2 of diseases are proposed for study. It is suggested that the risk factors and / or pathophysiological mechanisms that in a direct or indirect way may enhance the common development of the pathologies found in the clusters studied should be an object of priority study.