[Coronary atherosclerosis, coronary thrombosis and myocardial infarction in autopsy cases. 1st communication: Preliminary investigations: atherosclerosis of the aorta and the large arteries (author's transl)].

28978 autopsy reports of young (after the 14th year of age) and adult patients autopsied during the period from 1.1 1951 until 31. 12 1969 were scored for atherosclerotic changes of the aorta and the large arteries. The informations were transferred to punched cards and processed with electronic data equipment. The methods of the statistical evaluation are described. 52.96 per cent of the cases revealed an aortic atherosclerosis. 17.96 per cent showed an atherosclerosis of the cerebral arteries, 31.16 per cent of the cases had atherosclerotic changes of the kidneys. All groups of diseases showed an increase during the observation period. No sex differences were detected.