Danish singles have a twofold risk of acute coronary syndrome: data from a cohort of 138 290 persons

• Published in: Journal of epidemiology and community health (1979) Vol. 60; no. 8; pp. 721 - 728
• Main Authors: Nielsen, K M, Faergeman, O, Larsen, M L, Foldspang, A
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London BMJ Publishing Group Ltd 01-08-2006; BMJ Publishing Group; BMJ; BMJ Publishing Group LTD; BMJ Group
• Subjects: ACS; Acute coronary syndrome; Acute coronary syndromes; Acute Disease; acute myocardial infarction; Adult; Age; Age groups; Aged; Angina pectoris; Biological and medical sciences; Cardiology. Vascular system; Cardiovascular disease; Cardiovascular Diseases - epidemiology; Cohort Studies; cohort study; Coronary artery disease; Coronary heart disease; Denmark - epidemiology; ECG; electrocardiogram; Female; General aspects; Heart; Heart attacks; Humans; incidence; Male; markers of myocardial necrosis; Medical sciences; Men; Middle Aged; Miscellaneous; MMN; Musical register; Myocardial infarction; Population characteristics; Prospective Studies; Public health. Hygiene; Public health. Hygiene-occupational medicine; receiver operating characteristics curve; Research Report; Research reports; Risk Factors; ROC; SCD; Sex Distribution; Single Person - statistics & numerical data; Single status; Socioeconomic Factors; Sudden cardiac death; UAP; unstable angina pectoris; Denmark; Europe; Aarhus Denmark; Denmark, Aarhus; Human; Widowhood; Acute; Sex; Cardiovascular disease; Risk; Bachelorhood; Coronary heart disease; Medicine; Marital status; Sociodemographic factor; Cohort study; Risk factor; Public health
• ISSN: 0143-005X; 1470-2738
• DOI: 10.1136/jech.2005.041541

Study objective: Atherosclerosis of the coronary and other arteries is an important health problem in virtually all countries of the world, and thus there is a persisting need for the development of preventive programmes including population risk group identification. The aim of the study was to identify sociodemographic population risk indicators of an initial episode of acute coronary syndrome (ACS), including unstable angina pectoris (UAP), myocardial infarction (MI), and sudden cardiac death (SCD). Design: Cohort study of 138 290 residents of the municipality of Aarhus, Denmark, aged 30–69 years. Information on population members’ individual age, sex, social background, and eventual death was obtained from Danish Population Registers. Setting: University hospital. Patients: The study prospectively identified 646 victims of ACS from 1 April 2000 to 31 March 2002. Main results: Based on multiple logistic regression, age and single living were found to be positively associated with incident ACS in both sexes. Women >60 years living alone and men >50 years living alone were at especially high risk. They constituted only 5.4% and 7.7% of the source population, respectively, but they accounted for 34.3% and 62.4% of ACS patients dying within 30 days. Conclusions: Single living is associated with an increased risk of ACS. Thus, risk groups identified by use of information on their age and family structure may be targets for future more focused and cost effective preventive strategies. In Western populations, such high risk groups will constitute comparatively limited parts of the population, and in Denmark they are easily identifiable in routine population registers.