Do changes in cardiovascular risk factors explain the increasing socioeconomic difference in mortality from XXXX in Finland?

@entity1 @entity62 @entity165 @entity299
STUDY OBJECTIVE: To estimate the extent to which changes in blood pressure, smoking, and serum @entity165 concentration explain the observed increase in socioeconomic differences in mortality from @entity299 ( @entity299 ) in Finland during the past 20 years. DESIGN: Predicted changes in mortality from @entity299 were calculated using logistic regression models with the risk factor levels assessed by cross sectional population surveys conducted in 1972, 1977, 1982, and 1987. The subjects included @entity62 workers and farmers. The predicted changes were compared with the observed mortality changes in the same socioeconomic groups in the total population of the same geographical area. SETTING: North Karelia and Kuopio provinces, eastern Finland. @entity1 : 16,741 @entity1 and 16,389 @entity1 aged 30-59 randomly drawn from the population registers of the study areas. Mortality data were obtained from the total population in the same areas. MAIN RESULTS: In @entity1 , the changes in diastolic blood pressure, total serum @entity165 , and smoking predicted a 28% decline in the mortality from @entity299 among @entity62 , a 30% decline among blue collar workers, and a 33% decline in farmers. Observed declines in the same socioeconomic groups were 61%, 40%, and 37%, respectively. In @entity1 , the predicted decline was 41% among @entity62 , 35% among blue collar workers, and 39% among farmers. The respective observed declines were 57%, 43%, and 20%. CONCLUSIONS: Less than half of the decline in @entity299 mortality among white collar @entity1 was explained by the risk factor changes, while they explained 75% of the decline among blue collar @entity1 and 89% of the decline among male farmers. Changes in risk factors did not explain the increasing difference in @entity299 mortality between the socioeconomic groups, especially among @entity1 .
