Serum cholesterol and mortality from coronary heart disease in young, middle-aged, and older men and women from three Chicago epidemiologic studies.

The association of total serum cholesterol with mortality from coronary heart disease was examined in 1210 white men aged 42 to 60 in 1959 to 1963 and 1008 white men aged 45 to 64 in 1959 to 1969, followed up to 25 years from the Chicago Peoples Gas Company Study; in 1903 white men aged 41 to 57 in 1959, followed up to 24 years from the Chicago Western Electric Company Study; and in 17,880 white men aged 25 to 74 and 8327 white women aged 40 to 74 in 1967 to 1973, followed up to 18 years from the Chicago Heart Association Detection Project in Industry. In these studies total cholesterol level was related positively to coronary mortality in young men and in middle-aged and older men and women. Relative risks of mortality were generally higher in young and middle-aged persons compared to older persons, whereas absolute excess risks were generally greater in older than in younger persons.