ANALYSIS OF THE MRFIT SCREENEES - A METHODOLOGICAL STUDY

Purpose. To review the methods used in the many publications on the MR FIT screenees. Method, Medline was searched for articles mentioning MR FIT screenees. The articles were collected, abstracted, and the method section and some of the result section were scrutinized in detail. Th e statements in different articles regarding methods used and the pres entation of results were compared. Result, The analyses of the MRFIT s creenees seem to be retrospective studies of mortality and risk factor s, where the underlying data base has been far from complete. Similar data are presented in slightly different fashions in several papers pu blished in different scientific journals at about the same time. The c ontrol of the quality of underlying data has been uneven and is not di scussed at all in most of the papers published. Conclusion. The often- repeated statement that the MRFIT screenees constitute the largest and most exact data base regarding the relation of risk factors to mortal ity in the healthy male US population has no foundation.