The diet and all-causes death rate in the Seven Countries Study.

Among 12 763 men aged 0-59, 1512 died in ten years, 413 from coronary heart disease. The 16 cohorts differed in all-causes as well as in coronary death rate. Those differences were not related to cohort differences in age, relative weight, activity, smoking habits, or percentage calories from total proteins or fats in the diet but were related to differences in blood-pressure, serum cholesterol, and percentage calories from saturated fatty acids. The correlation with saturates was r = 0.47 for all-causes, 4 = 0.84 for coronary death rate. The all-causes death variables were controlled in multiple regression. Inclusion of percentage calories from saturates, mono-enes, and polyunsaturates in multiple regression gave multiple R = 0.71 for all-cause deaths but not better discrimination for coronary deaths. Non-coronary death rate was not significantly related to the diet. Both mean blood-pressure and serum cholesterol were correlated with saturates is explained by inter-correlation of blood-pressure with saturates is explained by inter-correlation between blood-pressure and cholesterol. The findings do not prove that saturates in the diet cause increased mortality but are consistent with the hypothesis that risk of early death is increased by diet saturates in populations in which coronary disease is a major death cause. There is no support for the suggestion that the advantage for coronary disease of a diet restricted in saturated fats may be offset by increased non-coronary mortality.