Age Dependence of the West/East Gradient in Cardiovascular Mortality of Finnish Males

. A cohort of 4475 Finnish men was followed up during 1964–80 in order to study regional differences in mortality from cardiovascular diseases, especially ischaemic heart disease (IHD). The west/east gradient in cardiovascular mortality recorded in several previous studies was greatly age‐dependent. The excess eastern risk was a feature of younger age groups; with increasing age the risk pattern was reversed. The risk factors in IHD in eastern...