Reducing Mortality from Coronary Heart Disease: The Known Knowns

In many Western countries, we have witnessed both improvements in risk factors and reductions in rates of cardiovascular disease. An industry-sponsored study recently sought to determine the extent to which changes in risk factors can explain the reduction in coronary heart disease.

Investigators in Finland conducted nine independent population-based surveys from 1972 through 2012 in two provinces in eastern Finland (N=34,525; age ranges, 30–59). In men, smoking rates dropped from 53% to 29% during this period, total serum cholesterol dropped from 262 to 210 mg/dL, and systolic blood pressure dropped from 147 to 136 mm Hg. Among women, smoking rates increased from 11% to 19%, total serum cholesterol dropped from 259 to 205 mg/dL, and systoli…