[Educational level and coronary artery disease risk factors.].
OBJECTIVE
Recently a number of epidemiological studies has been published in western countries showing an association between the incidence of coronary artery disease and its risk factors on one hand and socio-economic status on the other. Education is the single factor which most frequently is used to base classification of social status on. The purpose of this study was to estimate the association between education and coronary artery disease risk factors in Iceland.


METHODS
The study population was 18.919 individuals aged 33 to 81 who were living in Reykjavik and its neighbourhood. They were divided into four groups according to their educational level. A model of the relationship was constructed using linear regression analysis and the groups compared.


RESULTS
Risk factors such as cholesterol, triglycerides, diastolic blood pressure, systolic blood pressure, height, fasting blood sugar, 90 minute blood sugar, body mass index and smoking were used in the model. In most cases and for both sexes there was an increased risk for those in the lowest educational group compared with the other groups. For men only cholesterol, fasting blood sugar, smoking pipe and cigars showed no difference in risk between groups and for women only 90 minute blood sugar and pipe and cigar smoking showed no difference. For men an increased risk for the higher educational groups was only seen with two risk factors, triglycerides and 90 minute blood sugar and for women only smoking 25 cigarettes or more. Among women the difference between groups was decreased during the study period as regards body mass index, diastolic blood pressure, smoking and serum cholesterol. During the study period cholesterol values and diastolic blood pressure tended to decrease while body mass index and smoking prevalence increased among women. In the male group no significant trend was observed during the study period.
Gudmundsson
K T
KT
Hardarson
T
T
Sigvaldason
H
H
Sigfusson
N
N