Time trends of some cardiovascular risk factors in Italy. Results from the Nine Communities Study. The Research Group ATS-RF2-OB43 of the Italian National Research Council.

Nine paired but independent population samples made up of men and women aged 20-59 years, located in nine areas of eight different regions of Italy, were examined in 1978-1979 (populations AB; n = 6,699) and in 1983-1984 (populations C; n = 5,548), and some cardiovascular risk factors were measured. Age-standardized mean levels of serum cholesterol were not different in the pools of populations AB and C; systolic blood pressure was lower in populations C, as compared with populations AB, by 0.9% in males and 3.0% in females; body mass index was unchanged in males and lower by 2.8% in females; the prevalence of smoking decreased 8.9% in males and increased 8.5% in females. A multivariate model including the above factors suggested, for males, a decline in the estimated coronary risk of 10.5%.