Abstract

The aim of this project is to study trends in the major risk factors for cardiovascular diseases e.g. total and HDL chlolesterol, blood pressure and smoking. Also the importance of less frequently measured risk factors e.g. contraceptive pill use and psycho-social factors in the etiology of cardiovascular diseases will be investigated. Pilot investigations were carried out in order to investigate the possibilities to extend the project towards a monitoring project on (risk factors for) chronic diseases. These projects were carried out in Amsterdam, Doetinchem and Maastricht. In the sixth year (1992) of this project a total of about 6,000 persons, aged 20-59, were examined.