Exclusions | History of stroke, transient ischaemia, intermittent claudication and cancer (other than basal cell carcinomas). Physician assessed definite angina pectoris, myocardial infarction and congestive cardiac failure. Definite ECG evidence of myocardial infarction and coronary insufficiency. Doubtful ECG evidence of myocardial infarction | Rose angina (definite grade I or II), self-report of severe chest pain lasting half an hour or more, ECG evidence of myocardial infarction (definite or probable — Minnesota coded), self-report of stroke, previous cardiovascular disease hospitalisation. Left the country, missing risk factor data |
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Cardiovascular disease mortality | Panel review of death certificates using other available clinical information including sudden death of presumed cardiac origin, death from stroke, congestive cardiac failure and peripheral vascular disease | Death with cardiovascular disease as underlying cause (ICD-9 390-459) |
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Coronary heart disease mortality | Panel review of death certificates using other available clinical information including sudden death of presumed cardiac origin | Death with ischaemic heart disease as the underlying cause (ICD9 410-414) |
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Smokinga | Current or quit within past year | Current or quit within past year |
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Diabetesa | Treatment with insulin or oral agents or having a fasting glucose 7.7mmol/l or above | Self-report or non-fasting glucose >11.1 mmol/l |
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ECG evidence of left ventricular hypertrophya | Definite — not Minnesota coded | Definite — Minnesota coded |
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Systolic blood pressurea | Mean of two office measurements | Mean of two measurements |
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Total cholesterola | Abell-Kendell method | Annan and Isherwood method |
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High-density lipoprotein cholesterola | Determined after heparin–manganese precipitation | Default values: Men 1.3 mmol/l Women 1.5 mmol/l |