RISK-FACTORS FOR MYOCARDIAL-INFARCTION IN THE STOCKHOLM PROSPECTIVE-STUDY - 14-YEAR FOLLOW-UP FOCUSING ON THE ROLE OF PLASMA TRIGLYCERIDES AND CHOLESTEROL

Abstract

A 14-yr follow-up of the Stockholm Prospective Study [Sweden] is reported. A number of 130 new myocardial infarctions (MI) were found in a prospective group of men (n = 3189) and another 46, i.e., a total of 176 MI, in the total group (n = 3486). Different types of multivariate statistical analyses show that age, blood pressure [BP], smoking, fasting plasma concentrations of cholesterol and triglycerides, ESR [erythrocyte sedimentation rate] and Hb were independent risk factors for MI, while the weight/height index was not. Elevated BP became an important risk factor only after the age of 50 yr. When only age, BP, smoking and the 2 plasma lipids were entered into the logistic multivariate analysis, plasma triglycerides were more important as a risk factor than cholesterol. Quintile analysis showed that the rate of new MI increased more with increasing triglyceride than increasing cholesterol levels. In the prospective group, the average rate of new MI for men below 60 yr was 32/1000. In the bottom and top quintile these rates were 16 and 65 for plasma triglycerides and 27 and 47 for cholesterol. When the men were divided into 4 groups with regard to both plasma lipids, the rate of new MI increased successively from group to group along this chain: both lipids normal, only cholesterol high, only triglycerides high and both plasma lipids high.