[Prevention during adolescence: cardiovascular risk profile in juveniles of Cologne]

6302 adolescents were examined in 1975 for a cardiovascular risk profile ("Cologne Study"). Defined subpopulations could be followed-up prospectively in 1976 and 1980 (participation rates: 76.2%, 81.4%, 66.5%). Both sexes showed a correlation of cigarette smoking and intake of alcoholic beverages. Girls taking contraceptive smoked, drank more and their total cholesterol was significantly higher, and HDL-cholesterol significantly lower as compared to girls without hormonal contraception. A quarter to a third of the total variance for blood pressure, heart rate, total cholesterol, cigarette smoking and body-mass-index can be explained by measurements one resp. four or five years ago. Elevated values in the highest quintile show a clear tendency towards stability of risk status. Considering multifactorial constellations by cluster analysis, three groups with low, medium, and high risk status can be distinguished: 48% of all adolescents maintain their category over 5 years. For children with long-term and manifest elevation of blood pressure a more detailed determination of the risk status is recommended.