Variants of the course of ischaemic heart disease, its incidence and the level of main risk factors. Results of a two-stage screening trial in a male population.

The study presents the results of follow-up of a male population born between 1916-1935, living in a city district of Leningrad in 1975. The first epidemiological examination, designed to detect ischaemic heart disease (IHD) and its risk factors included 3,907 men. Repeated screening using the same protocol was conducted, at a 7-8 year interval, in 2,160 men. During the first screening, IHD was diagnosed in 461 persons; in 34.5% of them, according to the results of the second screening, IHD had a "stable course"; in 24.3% the second screening did not confirm the presence of IHD and 18.0% died of IHD complications in the meantime. A group of new non-fatal cases of IHD has been identified (13.9%). An analysis of the association between the course of IHD and the presence of risk factors has shown that while, in the group without the three main risk factors, the incidence was 6.0 +/- 2/1000 man-years, the respective figure was 41.2 +/- 7.3 in the group with the three risk factors present.