The Dubbo study of the health of elderly: correlates of coronary heart disease at study entry.

A prospective study of the health of elderly Australians recently commenced in Dubbo, NSW, the study population comprising 1,237 males and 1,568 females 60 years and older. The prevalence rates of coronary heart disease (CHD) and its associated risk factors have been examined in the baseline data. The age-standardized rate of CHD was 23.8/100 in males and 18.1/100 in females. The prevalence rate increased with age until 79 years in males, thereafter declining. The rate increased steadily with age in females. In a multiple logistic model, the following possible predictors of CHD were included: age, cigarette smoking, use of alcohol, exercise, religiosity, years of education, hypertension, diabetes, family history of CHD, body mass index, lipid and lipoprotein variables. The presence of CHD in males was significantly predicted by age, hypertension (odds ratio, OR = 1.40), family history (OR = 2.05), and high density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol (OR = 0.78). The significant predictors in females were age, years of education (OR = 0.82), hypertension (OR = 1.45), family history (OR = 1.77), serum triglycerides (OR = 1.30), and HDL cholesterol (OR = 0.73). Hypertension was found to be a stronger predictor of CHD in the younger age group (60-69 years), while diabetes was a predictor of CHD in older males (70-79 years). Our findings require confirmation in the prospective study now in progress.