[Significance of accumulation of arteriosclerotic risk factors in elderly people: from a study conducted in Tanno-Sobetsz].
Data from an 18-year prospective study were used to investigate the effect of accumulation of arteriosclerotic risk factors in elderly people on cerebrovascular and cardiovascular disease mortality rates. Risk factors include smoking, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, hyperlipidemia, and obesity. We compared survival rates between a group with few risk factors (< two risk factors) and a group with many risk factors (> or = two risk factors) in four groups of subjects: middle-aged men (< 61-years-old) and middle-aged women and elderly men (> or = 61-years-old) and elderly women. In the elderly male group, the survival rate was lower in subjects with many risk factors than in those with few risk factors. In the middle-aged male group, however, there was no difference between the two risk groups. On the other hand, in the middle-aged female group, the survival rate was lower in subjects with many risk factors than in those with few risk factors, while no difference was found between the two risk groups in the elderly female group. The results indicated that the effects of an accumulation of risk factors are different in men and women and greater in elderly men than in elderly women.
Second Department of Internal Medicine, Sapporo Medical University School of Medicine.
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Sakamoto
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Saitoh
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Takagi
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Shimamoto
D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001161:Arteriosclerosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D002561:Cerebrovascular Disorders / Q000150:complications / Q000401:mortality; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D006331:Heart Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000401:mortality; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D015996:Survival Rate