The effect of correcting for troponins on trends in coronary heart disease events in Finland during 1993-2002: the FINAMI study.
OBJECTIVE
The object of this study is to analyse the trends in coronary events in Finland during 1993-2002, correcting for the effect of troponins.


RESULTS
A population-based myocardial infarction register recorded all coronary events (n=14 782) in four geographical areas of Finland during 1993-2002. Correction coefficients for the effect of troponins were calculated on the basis of 4359 coronary events, with simultaneous determination of troponins and the 'old' enzymatic markers of myocardial injury. Coronary mortality declined steeply, except in women aged > or = 75 years. The incidence of first coronary events declined 2.0% (95% confidence interval -3.0, -0.9%) per year among men and 1.0% (-2.7, 0.6%) per year among women aged 35-74 years. After correcting for the effect of troponins, also the decline among women became statistically significant: 2.7% (-4.5, -0.8%) per year. The effect of troponins tended to be stronger in women and older individuals than in men and younger individuals. The 28-day case fatality declined among men, but not among women. The effect of troponins on case fatality trends was weak.


CONCLUSIONS
Declining trends in the incidence of coronary events in Finland during 1993-2002 were partly hidden by the effect of troponins. Both incidence and case fatality declines have contributed to the decline in mortality.
Salomaa
Veikko
V
KTL-National Public Health Institute, Mannerheimintie 166, FI-00300 Helsinki, Finland. veikko.salomaa@ktl.fi
Ketonen
Matti
M
Koukkunen
Heli
H
Immonen-Räihä
Pirjo
P
Lehtonen
Aapo
A
Torppa
Jorma
J
Kuulasmaa
Kari
K
Kesäniemi
Y Antero
YA
Pyörälä
Kalevi
K
D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D017281:Cost of Illness; D004562:Electrocardiography; D005260:Female; D005387:Finland / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009026:Mortality / Q000639:trends; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000097:blood / Q000401:mortality*; D012044:Regression Analysis; D014336:Troponin / Q000097:blood*
D015415:Biomarkers; D014336:Troponin