Lessons for Science from the Seven Countries Study

1. Front Matter

   Pages III-XII

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2. Overview of the Seven Countries Study

   1. Front Matter

      Pages 1-1

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   2. A Brief Personal History of the Seven Countries Study

      • Ancel Keys

      Pages 3-7

   3. The Seven Countries Study: A Historic Adventure in Science

      • Henry Blackburn

      Pages 9-13

3. Update on the Seven Countries Study

   1. Front Matter

      Pages 15-15

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   2. Risk Factors and Mortality Patterns in the Seven Countries Study

      • Alessandro Menotti, Fulvia Seccareccia

      Pages 17-33

   3. Dietary Saturated Fatty Acids, Serum Cholesterol, and Coronary Heart Disease

      • Daan Kromhout, Bennie P. M. Bloemberg

      Pages 35-41

   4. Functional Capacity in 70- to 89-year-old Men in Finland, Italy, and the Netherlands

      • Aulikki Nissinen, Paula Kivinen, Edith Feskens, Simona Giampaoli, Daan Kromhout, Alessandro Menotti et al.

      Pages 43-51

   5. Food Intake Assessment for Epidemiological Studies

      • Flaminio Fidanza, Adalberta Alberti Fidanza

      Pages 53-59

4. Recent Trends in Cardiovascular Diseases and Risk Factors in the Seven Countries Study

   1. Front Matter

      Pages 61-61

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   2. Recent Trends in Cardiovascular Disease and Risk Factors in the Seven Countries Study: Japan

      • Yoshinori Koga, Ryuichi Hashimoto, Hisashi Adachi, Makoto Tsuruta, Hiromi Tashiro, Hironori Toshima

      Pages 63-74

   3. Recent Trends in Cardiovascular Disease and Risk Factors: Yugoslavia

      • Srecko I. Nedeljković, Miodrag Č. Ostojić, Milija R. Vukotić, Miodrag Z. Grujić

      Pages 75-91

   4. Recent Trends in Cardiovascular Disease and Risk Factors in the Seven Countries Study: Greece

      • Anastasios S. Dontas

      Pages 93-111

   5. Recent Trends in Cardiovascular Disease and Risk Factors in the Seven Countries: Italy

      • Alessandro Menotti, Simona Giampaoli

      Pages 113-125

   6. Recent Trends in Cardiovascular Disease and Risk Factors in the Seven Countries: The Netherlands

      • W. M. Monique Verschuren, Henriette A. Smit, Edith M. Van Leer, Jacob C. Seidell, Daan Kromhout

      Pages 127-144

   7. Mortality and Risk-factor Trends in Minnesota: Minnesota Heart Studies

      • David R. Jacobs Jr., J. Michael Sprafka, Peter J. Hannan, Cynthia M. Ripsin, Paul G. McGovern, Henry Blackburn

      Pages 145-161

   8. Socioeconomic Differences in Trends in Coronary Heart Disease Mortality and Risk Factors in Finland

      • Juha Pekkanen, Antti Uutela, Tapani Valkonen, Erkki Vartiainen, Jaakko Tuomilehto, Pekka Puska

      Pages 163-175

5. Lessons from the Seven Countries Study

   1. Front Matter

      Pages 177-177

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   2. Will Measures to Prevent Coronary Heart Disease Protect Against Other Chronic Disorders?

      • Frederick H. Epstein

      Pages 179-193

   3. The Potential for Prevention of the Major Adult Cardiovascular Diseases

      • Jeremiah Stamler

      Pages 195-234

The Seven Countries Study has made central contributions to the under­ standing of the socio-cultural influences on population rates of cardiovascular diseases (CVD). It has pointed the way to preventive strategies for whole populations. The Study is unique as a long-term investigation, now in its 35th year. This pioneering work arose in part from a meeting between Professors Ancel Keys and Noboru Kimura to discuss differences observed in clinical mani­ festations and pathology of coronary disease in the U.S. and Japan. Professor Keys started explorations of the importance in these differences of dietary fat and serum cholesterol when he visited Japan in 1954, and thereafter initiated the Seven Countries Study to test these hypotheses. In the Japanese cohorts of the Study, it became evident from the outset that coronary artery disease was extremely rare, but its incidence has since increased along with dramatic lifestyle changes from traditional Japanese to western styles. The Japanese experience contrasts with a reduction in coronary artery disease in many western countries along with establishment of major preventive efforts in risk factor reduction and cardiac care.

• Cardiovascular Disease Epidemiology
• Coronary Risk Factors
• Seven Countries Study
• cardiovascular
• epidemiology
• health
• vascular disease

• Division of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, University of Minnesota, USA

  Ancel Keys, Henry Blackburn

• The Third Department of Medicine, The Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases, Kurume University School of Medicine, Kurume, Japan

  Hironori Toshima

• The Third Department of Medicine, Kurume University School of Medicine, Kurume, Japan

  Yoshinori Koga

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