Self-reports predictive of mortality from ischemic heart disease: a nine-year follow-up of the Human Population Laboratory cohort.

In order to assess the validity of self-reports of physical conditions, symptoms, and ailments, the nine-year mortality experience of a random population sample of 4590 adults, aged 35-94, in Alameda County, California, was examined. Consistently, increased risks of death from any cause and from ischemic heart disease were found for several self-reports. Multiple logistic analyses of deaths from ischemic heart disease showed that the best predictors for men were reports of "high blood pressure," "heart trouble," and "shortness of breath" and for women were "heart trouble," "swollen ankles," and "chest pain." The strength and consistency of the relationships between these self-reports and risk of death from all causes and from ischemic heart disease argues for the validity of such reports as measures of underlying disease state.