Pol-MONICA Cracow on-going study: initial findings

The findings after the first year of the study are presented. The study population is 282,052 men and women aged 25-64 years, current residents of rural Tarnobrzeg Voivodeship. The population is characterized by a declining linear trend in ischemic heart disease (IHD) mortality in men aged 35-44 years. The myocardial infarction (MI) incidence (per 100,000 residents) is 233 in men and 68 in women. The MI death rates (per 100,000 residents) are 128 for men and 29 for women. The MI 28-day case fatality is 44% for men and 41% for women. The most frequent risk factors are: smoking in men (58%) and obesity in women (40%). Around one-quarter of the men and of the women are hypertensive. The rates for hypercholesterolemia are 9% in men and 13% in women.