Background: Measures presenting the number of years of lost life point out social and economic aspects of premature mortality.

Aim: The aim of the study was to determine trends and pace of changes in years of life lost, in inhabitants of Poland, in 2000–2014, due to cardiovascular diseases (CVD).

Methods: The study material was a database including 2,587,141 death certificates of Polish inhabitants who died of CVD in 2000–2014. We applied the standard expected years of life lost (SEYLL) indicators per living person (SEYLLp) and per death (SEYLLd) to calculate life years lost. We also estimated annual percentage changes (APC) and average annual percentage changes (AAPC) in the SEYLL indicators.

Results: In 2000 the SEYLLp index due to CVD was 860.3 years per 10,000 males and 586.9 years per 10,000 females. In 2000–2004 the indices were decreasing and the average annual rate was –0.8% in the male group and –1.2% in the female group. Eventually, in 2014 its values were 721.4 years per 10,000 males and 475.6 years per 10,000 females. The respondents were losing years of life due to ischaemic heart disease (IHD) most rapidly (AAPC = –3.3% in the male group and –3.2% in the female group) and due to cerebrovascular diseases (AAPC = –2.5% in the male group and AAPC = –3.3% in the female group). On the other hand, there was an increase in the number of years of life lost due to heart failure (HF) (AAPC = 5.7% in the male group and AAPC = 4.4% in the female group). In 2014 SEYLLp due to IHD were 207.3 per 10,000 males and 99.1 per 10,000 females, due to cerebrovascular diseases — 124.3 and 102.2, and due to HF — 155.3 and 104.9. Each male who died of CVD lost on average 19.1 years in the year 2000 and 17.0 years in the year 2014 (AAPC = –0.5%). Regarding women, SEYLLd values were 12.6 years in 2000 and 10.4 years in 2014 (AAPC = –1.4%). A decrease in the SEYLLd value was observed in all analysed causes of mortality, in both males and females.

Conclusions: Among CVDs, IHD and cerebrovascular diseases contribute to the highest number of years of life lost in inhabitants of Poland. The constant decline in the average number of years of life lost by each person who died of CVD might result from implementation of more effective prophylaxis and more effective treatment, which extend lifespan.