CORRELATES OF MORTALITY IN RUSSIAN AND US WOMEN - THE LIPID RESEARCH CLINICS PROGRAM

Associations between selected risk factors and 7-year all-cause mortal ity were studied in 2,187 Russian women and 2,146 US women who were sc reened as part of a US-Russian collaborative program. The US women wer e screened during the period 1972-1976, while the Russian women were s creened from 1978 to 1982. Cigarette smoking and elevated systolic blo od pressure were associated with increased mortality in both samples. High density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol was inversely related to mo rtality in US women, but there was no association of HDL cholesterol w ith mortality in Russian women. Prevalent angina and electrocardiograp hic abnormalities were associated with mortality in both samples, but the relations achieved statistical significance only in the Russian sa mple. The problems of cigarette smoking and elevated blood pressure sh ould be addressed with public health measures in both countries. The a bsence of an association between HDL cholesterol and mortality in the Russian sample should be investigated further.