COMPARISON OF RISK-FACTORS FOR CORONARY HEART-DISEASE IN DRESDEN AND MUNSTER - RESULTS OF THE DRECAN (DRESDEN CARDIOVASCULAR RISK AND NUTRITION) STUDY AND THE PROCAM (PROSPECTIVE CARDIOVASCULAR MUNSTER) STUDY

Trend analyses based on WHO statistics for average life expectancy, ag e-standardized cardiovascular (CVD) morbidity and mortality show signi ficant differences between the former German Democratic Republic (GDR) and the former Federal Republic of Germany (FRG). To investigate whet her this is due to a different prevalence of cardiovascular risk facto rs, the Dresden Cardiovascular Risk and Nutrition (DRECAN) study was c onducted using the complete methodology of the Prospective Cardiovascu lar Munster (PROCAM) study, i.e., the same methods and strict quality controls, with an exchange of specimens between both laboratories. The results were compared with those of an adjusted subpopulation of the PROCAM study. Even before unification there were only small difference s in lipoprotein profiles between West and East Germany, 10 months aft er unification these differences were minimal. The survey does not suf ficiently explain the differences in CHD morbidity and mortality betwe en Western and Eastern Germany. Further analyses of the nutritional as pects will show whether the change, in available foodstuffs after unif ication has led to substantially changed nutritional habits, and wheth er this might explain some of the results.