PREDICTIVE VALUE OF CORONARY HEART-DISEASE RISK-FACTORS - 12 YEARS FOLLOW-UP - RETROSPECTIVE AND PROSPECTIVE REVISION

In 1,035 apparently healthy adults (74 % men) examined in 1978, hypercholesterolemia (> = 240 mg/dl) was found to be the most prevalent (51 %) among the eight coronary risk factors (CRF) taken into account. Twelve years later a sample (7 %, n = 67) of that population was reached through a written questionnary, designed to find out whether or not they have had clinical evidences of coronary, cerebral or peripheral atherosclerosis (AT): 22 (33 %) were classified as "AT +" and 45 (67 %) as "AT -". The alive/death ratios were 1.2 and 21.5 for the former and the latter group, respectively. Differences in the original (1978) global CRF scores between the two groups were highly significant and due to the higher mean levels of total serum cholesterol (p < 0.0001) and dyastolic blood pressure (p < 0.05) of the "AT +" group. By allowing a correct classification in 69 % of the "AT +" group, hypercholesterolemia proved to the relative risk (2.16) for coronary atherosclerosis, among the CRF. Lastly is should be mentioned that the mortality rate of the "AT +" group was 11 times higher. These results suggest that hypercholesterolemia is the most prevalent of the CRF in the adult argentinian population, and the one which seems to exert the strongest influence upon morbidity and mortality of coronary atherosclerosis.