The Kockum study: twenty-two-year follow-up. Coronary heart disease in a population in the south of Sweden.

The Kockum study of risk factors for coronary heart disease (CHD) consists of 464 individuals, one third white collar workers, one third heavy workers and one third well trained firemen, all of whom have now been followed for 22 years. Important risk factors for CHD seem to be heredity, smoking, stress, lack of physical activity, diabetes mellitus hypertension, high body weight, ECG abnormalities, hypercholesterolemia, hypertriglyceridemia and baldness. In addition to the common risk factors, baldness seems to be of importance. A high cholesterol value predisposes for an increased death rate not only due to CHD but also to malignant disease. A Cox analysis shows a markedly decreased life expectancy in multirisk factor patients caused not only by CHD but also by cancer.