[Effect of the type of work on the development of coronary arteriosclerosis]

The aorta and coronary arteries taken from 4,000 cadavers were studied by the visual-planimetric method. Atherosclerotic changes (fibrous patches, complicated lesions, calcinosis, stenosis of the coronary vessels) were significantly more frequent and more severe in individuals who had been concerned with mental work, males in particular, than in those who had performed physical work. This regular feature was less distinct among countrypeople, females in particular. It is concluded from thorough additional analysis of morphological material that the coronary atherosclerosis risk factor is not only the character of work but its intensity too, especially in individuals engaged in mental work for a lengthy period of time.