Veranderingen in het serumcholesterolgehalte bij de Nederlandse bevolking in de periode 1974-1986

– Data from two screening projects on cardiovascular risk factors were used to analyse the trend in serum total cholesterol level in the Netherlands between 1974 and 1986. Cholesterol was determined according to a standardised protocol during the entire study period. Between 1974 and 1980 about 30,000 men and women aged 37-43 were screened. A decrease in mean serum total cholesterol level was observed until the end of 1977, followed by an increase. This resulted in a ‘net’ decrease over the total study period of 0.07 mmoll in men and 0.03 mmoll in women.

Between 1981 and 1986 over 80,000 men aged 33-37 years were screened. Over this period a decrease in mean total cholesterol level was observed of 0.20 mmoll. In spite of the decline in mean total cholesterol level, the prevalence of cholesterol values of 6.5 mmoll and above in young adult men was still high in 1986 (16 per cent). A further reduction is therefore desirable to enhance the decline in mortality from coronary heart disease.