Risk factors for coronary heart disease in the prospective Dubbo Study of Australian elderly.
A new prospective study of non-institutionalised Australian elderly 60 years and over commenced in Dubbo in 1988, comprising 1236 men and 1569 women. This report examines clinical and socio-demographic predictors of coronary heart disease (CHD) over a median 62 months follow-up. CHD incidence rates (ICD-9-CM codes 410-414) were higher in men than women until 79 years, thereafter, the rates for recurrent disease were higher in women. Incidence rates for recurrent disease were three-fold those for initial disease. In Cox proportional hazards analysis, the significant predictors of all CHD were: advancing age, prior CHD (relative risk (RR) = 2.50 and 2.15 in men and women, respectively), use of anti-hypertensive medication (RR = 1.92 and 1.75 in men and women, respectively). diabetes (RR = 1.67 and 1.53 in men and women, respectively), serum cholesterol, low density lipoprotein cholesterol and serum apo B in men (RR = 1.24), serum triglycerides in women (RR = 1.23), high density lipoprotein cholesterol in men (RR = 0.82), lipoprotein (a) in women (RR = 1.99), and poorer self-rating of health (RR =1.48 and 1.93 in men and women, respectively). Serum cholesterol was not predictive of CHD in men beyond 74 years. Isolated systolic hypertension predicted CHD in women (RR = 3.76), but not in men (RR = 1.20). The findings highlight key risk factors for CHD in the elderly.
University of New South Wales, Lipid Research Department, St. Vincent's Hospital, Darlinghurst, Sydney, Australia.
L A
LA
Simons
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Y
Friedlander
J
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McCallum
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J
Simons
D000368:Aged; D001315:Australia / Q000453:epidemiology; D001794:Blood Pressure; D003327:Coronary Disease / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008055:Lipids / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D012424:Rural Population
D008055:Lipids