Life-course socioeconomic and behavioral influences on cardiovascular disease mortality: the collaborative study.
OBJECTIVE
This study sought to demonstrate life-course influences on cardiovascular disease (CVD).


METHODS
Data were derived from a prospective observational study in which the main outcome measure was death resulting from CVD.


RESULTS
Combining 4 socioeconomic and behavioral risk indicators into a measure of life-course exposure produced 5 groups whose relative risks of CVD mortality ranged from 1.00 (the group with the most favorable life-course exposures) to 4.55 (the group with the least favorable life-course exposures). If the entire study population had had the CVD mortality risk of the subsample with the most favorable risk factor profile, approximately two thirds of cardiovascular deaths would not have occurred.


CONCLUSIONS
CVD risk is influenced in a cumulative fashion by socioeconomic and behavioral factors acting throughout the life course.
Smith
George Davey
GD
Department of Social Medicine, University of Bristol, England. zetkin@bristol.ac.uk
Hart
Carole
C
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000208:ethnology / Q000401:mortality*; D015331:Cohort Studies; D015438:Health Behavior / Q000208:ethnology*; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D009790:Occupations / Q000145:classification; D016016:Proportional Hazards Models; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012042:Registries; D012307:Risk Factors; D012309:Risk-Taking; D012606:Scotland / Q000453:epidemiology; D012923:Social Class; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors