High serum concentrations of vitamin E and cholesterol and low mortality from ischaemic heart disease in northern Finland.

The regional mortality from ischaemic heart disease varies from low to high in northern Finland. To clarify the reasons for this 361 men engaged in reindeer herding who lived in the northernmost part of the country, the Sámi area, or a neighbouring reference area were investigated. The mortality from IHD in the general population was lower in the Sámi area than the reference area. The serum lipid-adjusted vitamin E (alpha tocopherol) and cholesterol showed reverse trends, being higher in the Sámi area. Serum vitamin E increased with the consumption of reindeer meat. A diet-associated good vitamin E status may be one factor in the anomalous, low mortality from IHD in the North in a population with high serum cholesterol.