Cardiovascular risk factors predict age at death in 60-year follow-up of the Seven Countries Study

Abstract

Objectives. To study age at death (AD) and its determinants in cohorts of middle-aged men followed-up until extinction.Material and Methods. A total of 9063 middle aged men enrolled in 10 cohorts of 6 countries (USA, Finland, the Netherlands, Italy, Greece and Japan) within the Seven Countries Study were examined and then followed-up for 60 years until extinction. AD was computed and a small number of risk factors were tested through multiple linear regression as possibly related to attained AD.Results. AD ranged across cohorts from 71.8 years in East Finland and 80.5 years in Crete with levels roughly lower in the USA and Northern Europe and higher elsewhere. Across cohorts the correlation coe cients of systolic blood pressure (R=-0.58) and of CVD prevalence (R=-0.65) versus average AD were the only signi cant ones. At individual level in the pool of all cohorts, a multiple linear regression model showed that age, vigorous physical activity, never and ex-smokers were favorably related to AD, while the reverse was true for systolic blood pressure, heart rate, serum cholesterol, CVD prevalence and silent ECG abnormalities. BMI had a parabolic relationship with AD. The predicting power of single risk factors, expressed in years gained or lost, was relatively small, but arbitrary combinations of several of them produced large differences in AD.Conclusions. A small number of CVD risk factors were strongly associated with AD in a life-long follow-up.

Nutrient Intake and Risk Factors for Metabolic Syndrome in Christian Orthodox Church Religious Fasters

“…The fundamentals of the Mediterranean diet were first studied by Ancel Keys in the Seven Countries' Study (SCS), leading to the recognition of this diet as the optimal one in the 1960s [4,5]. In brief, the Greek participants, who were inhabitants of Crete, had the highest rates in longevity, in comparison to individuals from other countries [6,7]. When the demographics of the 686 middle-aged healthy Cretan men were studied in further detail, it was shown that 60% of them mentioned a strict adherence to the Christian Orthodox Church (COC) fasting recommendations [7][8][9].…”

Impact of Christian Orthodox Church Fasting on Metabolic Syndrome Components in Adults Aged 18–49 Years

“…The Seven Countries Study (SCS) started in 1960 with 9063 men 40 to 60 years old participating in the study and were followed up for 60 years until extinction. The population of Crete had the highest age of death and most survivors over 100 years old, in comparison to other participating countries, as showed by the most recent publications of SCS [ 7 , 8 ]. This is related to the lifestyle of the population of Crete where more than 60% of men strictly followed all the fasting periods according to COC recommendations, suggesting that the COC fasting is a well-structured prudent dietary pattern that promotes the value of a plant-based diet [ 9 ].…”

Epigenetic Signatures in Hypertension

“…As shown in work by Angeli et al [ 10 ], there appears to be a complex process linking COVID-19 and hypertension. The increased mortality risk of hypertensive patients is also well documented [ 11 , 12 , 13 , 14 ]. Hypertension during pregnancy is estimated to result in complications in 5% to 7% of the cases, with a substantial maternal and fetal morbidity [ 15 ].…”