EVOLUTION OF CORONARY ATHEROSCLEROSIS IN 5 EUROPEAN TOWNS OVER 20-25 YEARS

Two epidemiological studies of atherosclerosis based on pathomorpholog ical data were conducted in several European towns (Malmo, Prague, Rig a, Tallinn and Yalta) with an interval of 20-25 years. The first study was done in 1963-1968 and the second in 1985-1988. Men aged 20-59 yea rs were included In Malmo, Prague, Riga, Tallinn and Yalta (n=4236 and n=4138 in first and second studies, respectively) and women aged 40-4 9 years in Malmo, Prague and Yalta (n=1001 and n=710 in 1st and 2nd st udies, respectively). Similar protocols designed by a WHO expert group were used in both studies and frequencies and areas of atheroscleroti c lesions in coronary arteries were compared. Evolution of coronary at herosclerosis over 25 years in different towns had some specific featu res. In men in Riga, Tallinn and Yalta,aggravation of atherosclerosis was observed, while in Malmo area of raised (protruding) lesions was s maller in the 236 compared to the 1st study. No significant difference s were found between results of two studies in Prague. In women in Rig a and Yalta changes in severity of coronary atherosclerosis between tw o studies were insignificant while in Malmo some decrease In atheroscl erosis severity occurred. In all towns frequency and area of coronary artery calcinosis in the second study exceeded those in the first stud y in men and often in women this being parallel to an increase in freq uency of coronary artery stenoses.