SERUM TOTAL CHOLESTEROL AND SYSTOLIC BLOOD-PRESSURE AS RISK-FACTORS FOR MORTALITY FROM ISCHEMIC-HEART-DISEASE AMONG ELDERLY MEN AND WOMEN

Serum total cholesterol (TC) and systolic blood pressure (SBP) were in vestigated as risk factors for mortality from ischemic heart disease a mong 272 elderly men and women during 17 years of follow-up. For men, TC was not significantly associated with mortality from ischemic heart disease. Among women, a significant positive association was found (p -trend = 0.03 when adjusted for age, body mass index, SBP, alcohol con sumption, smoking, and the prevalence of myocardial infarction, angina pectoris and diabetes mellitus). Among women a significant positive a ssociation was also observed for SBP after adjustment for all potentia l confounders (p-trend = 0.05). Among men, the adjusted association wi th SBP was not statistically significant. The results suggest that TC and SBP are stronger independent risk factors for mortality from ische mic heart disease among elderly women than among elderly men. These di fferences between genders may be due to selective mortality among midd le-aged men and physiological changes in women during menopause.