Article Synopsis |  | Risk factors for coronary heart disease (CHD) in middle aged people have been well-defined and consistently included hypertension, smoking, lipid disorders, diabetes and family history. However, risk factor prediction by many of these factors in the elderly is more complex.
This report examines the clinical and socio-demographic predictors of CHD in Australian people over 60 living in Dubbo during an average 62 months follow up.
The study found that CHD incidence rates were higher in men than in women up until 79 years of age. Over 79 years, rates for recurrent CHD were higher in women.
A cox proportional hazards analysis found that significant predictors of all CHD were: advancing age, prior CHD, use of anti-hypertensive medication, diabetes, serum cholesterol, low density lipoprotein cholesterol, serum apolipoprotein B in men, serum triglycerides in women, high density lipoprotein cholesterol in men, lipoprotein(a) in women, and poorer self-rated health. However, serum cholesterol was not predictive of CHD in men over 74 years of age, and isolated systolic hypertension predicted CHD in women, but not in men. Overall, the coronary heart disease incidence in women lags behind that in men until 80 years and beyond. |