Triglycerides, a major coronary risk factor in elderly men. A study of men born in 1913

We examined two 'cohorts' of elderly men, 60 and 67 years old. The two 'cohorts' overlapped to a large extent in terms of numbers but not in the follow-up periods. The mean have been followed-up for 7 and 8 years respectively. Among the 748 60-year-old men without prior myocardial infarction the 7-year incidence of coronary heart disease was 8%. The incidence was related to blood pressure, smoking habits and serum triglycerides (but not serum cholesterol) both in univariate and multivariate analyses. The incidence of coronary heart disease increased 5-fold from the lowest to the highest quintile of triglycerides. Among the 595 67-year-old men without prior myocardial infarction the 8-year incidence of coronary heart disease was 11%. Both serum cholesterol and triglycerides were significant risk factors in univariate analyses but only triglycerides in multivariate analyses. The incidence of coronary heart disease increased almost three-fold from the lowest to the highest quintile of triglycerides. Increased serum triglycerides is a major coronary risk factor in elderly men.