Association of serum lipids and obesity with cardiovascular mortality.

Serum lipid concentrations, relative body weight, and smoking habits were assessed in a cohort of 1648 middle-aged Finnish men who were subsequently followed for seven years. Multivariate analysis showed that serum triglyceride and cholesterol concentrations and smoking were all independently associated with cardiovascular mortality. High serum triglyceride concentrations increased the risk of cardiovascular death only when they exceeded 1.7 mmol/l (150 mg/100 ml), but this occurred at all cholesterol and relative body weight levels. Obesity influenced death rates only in men with raised serum lipid levels, while smoking was associated with increased mortality when any combination of the other factors was present. Men who had raised triglyceride concentrations combined with smoking or obesity had the highest risk of cardiovascular death.