title: Secular changes in cardiovascular risk factors in Swedish 50-year-old men over a 50-year period: The study of men born in 1913, 1923, 1933, 1943, 1953 and 1963.
abstract: Background During the past decades, declining trends in mean cholesterol levels and smoking have been observed in Western Europe, whereas obesity and a sedentary lifestyle have increased. Simultaneously, there has been a marked decrease in mortality from cardiovascular (CV) diseases. Methods The aim of the study was to determine whether these trends in CV risk factors continued over a period of 50 years. Six systematic or random population samples of 50-year-old men ( n = 3563) living in Gothenburg, Sweden, were investigated between 1963 and 2013. Results During the 50 years, mean body mass index (BMI) at 50 years of age increased by 2 kg/m2, from 24.8 kg/m2in 1963 to 26.8 kg/m2in 2013 ( p < 0.001). A decrease in systolic blood pressure of nearly 10 mmHg was observed from 1963 to 1993, but was not sustained through the past two decades. Mean serum cholesterol fell from 6.42 (SD 1.12) mmol/L to 5.34 (SD 0.97) mmol/L. The prevalence of smoking at 50 years of age decreased markedly from 56.1% in 1963 to 11.9% in 2013. The number of participants with a sedentary lifestyle during leisure time decreased until 1993, but has remained unchanged since. In 2013, 50-year-old men had a 6.9-times higher likelihood of lacking CV risk factors than 50-year-old men in 1963 (95% confidence interval (CI): 3.5-13.3, p < 0.001). The odds ratio for having four or more risk factors was only 0.13 (95% CI: 0.062-0.29, p < 0.001). Conclusion Despite increasing body weight, the total CV risk factor burden has decreased in 50-year-old men over the past 50 years.
authors: 1 Department of Molecular and Clinical Medicine, Institute of Medicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden.|2 Department of Cardiology, Beijing Hospital, Beijing, PR China.
authors: You
authors: Y
authors: Zhong
authors: 1 Department of Molecular and Clinical Medicine, Institute of Medicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden.
authors: Annika
authors: A
authors: Rosengren
authors: 1 Department of Molecular and Clinical Medicine, Institute of Medicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden.
authors: Michael
authors: M
authors: Fu
authors: 1 Department of Molecular and Clinical Medicine, Institute of Medicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden.|3 Department of Medicine, Lidköping Hospital, Lidköping, Sweden.
authors: Lennart
authors: L
authors: Welin
authors: 1 Department of Molecular and Clinical Medicine, Institute of Medicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden.
authors: Catharina
authors: C
authors: Welin
authors: 1 Department of Molecular and Clinical Medicine, Institute of Medicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden.|4 Department of Molecular Medicine and Surgery, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.
authors: Kenneth
authors: K
authors: Caidahl
authors: 1 Department of Molecular and Clinical Medicine, Institute of Medicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden.
authors: Zacharias
authors: Z
authors: Mandalenakis
authors: 1 Department of Molecular and Clinical Medicine, Institute of Medicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden.
authors: Mikael
authors: M
authors: Dellborg
authors: 5 Department of Public Health and Caring Sciences, Family Medicine and Preventive Medicine Section, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden.
authors: Kurt
authors: K
authors: Svärdsudd
authors: 1 Department of Molecular and Clinical Medicine, Institute of Medicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden.
authors: Per-Olof
authors: PO
authors: Hansson
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D001794:Blood Pressure; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000097:blood; D015897:Comorbidity; D006304:Health Status; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D006937:Hypercholesterolemia / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology; D006973:Hypertension / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D016014:Linear Models; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D054526:Men's Health / Q000639:trends*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009765:Obesity / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D016017:Odds Ratio; D065840:Protective Factors; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors; D057185:Sedentary Behavior; D012737:Sex Factors; D012907:Smoking / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000453:epidemiology; D013548:Sweden / Q000453:epidemiology; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D002784:Cholesterol
keywords: Secular trends; cardiovascular risk factors; lifestyle; obesity