[Relationship between education and risk factors for coronary artery disease]

Recent epidemiological studies in the western countries show an association between the incidence of coronary artery disease and its risk factors and socioeconomic status. Education is the single factor most frequently used as to base classification of social status. The purpose of this study was to estimate the association between education level and coronary artery disease risk factors in Iceland. The study population was 18919 individuals aged 33 to 8l who were living in Reykjavik and its neighbourhood. They were divided into four groups according to their educational level. A model of the relationship was constructed using linear regression analysis and the groups compared. Risk factors such as cholesterol, triglycerides, diastolic and systolic blood pressure, height, fasting blood sugar, 90 minute blood sugar, BMI and smoking were studied. In most cases and for both sexes there was an increased risk for those in the lowest educational group compared with the other groups.