Electrocardiograms were recorded from 2,449 men and 2,689 women past 16 years of age, 85 per cent of the adult population of Tecumseh, Michigan. The tracings were classified according to the system of Blackburn and associates and the various categories are tabulated and discussed. Abnormal Q waves and certain "nonspecific" changes such as left axis deviation, high-amplitude R waves, ST-segment depression, T-wave inversion, first-degree atrioventricular block, complete intraventricular block, and arrhythmias increased in frequency with age. Hypertension and hyperglycemia occurred with significant frequency among persons with some of these changes. It seems likely that such "nonspecific" electrocardiographic abnormalities are frequently signs of coronary or hypertensive heart disease. The mean amplitudes of QRS complexes of men less than 50 years of age were greater than those of women. Such sex differences should be taken into account in the interpretation of clinical electrocardiograms. Further examinations and surveillance of the participants of this study are expected to clarify the significance of the electrocardiographic features discussed and the relationships between such features and other physiologic variables.

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To determine the influence of diet on serum cholesterol and triglyceride levels among adults, 24-hr dietary recall interviews were conducted among 957 men and 1,082 women resident in the community of Tecumseh, Michigan. Trained interviewers obtained detailed description of all foods consumed during 24 hr before venipuncture for lipid determination. Using a list of nutritional composition of 2,706 foods prepared from standard references, nutritionists determined quantities of all nutrients common to the American diet which were consumed by each participant according to a 24-hr diet record. For analysis, men and women were grouped into lower middle, and upper tertiles according to serum cholesterol and triglyceride levels. The mean daily consumption of each dietary component was virtually identical in all tertiles for men and women but differed between sexes. Cholesterol and triglyceride levels were unrelated to quality, quantity, or proportions of fat, carbohydrate, or protein consumed in the 24-hr recall period.

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