Copenhagen City Heart Study

Background:

Initiated in 1976 by Peter Schnohr, Gorm Jensen and A. Tybjærg Hansen, the original purpose of the study was to increase knowledge about the prevention of CHD and stroke. Added over the years were questions about heart failure, pulmonary diseases, arthrosis, allergy, epilepsy, dementia, stress, sleep-apnea, “vital exhaustion,” and genetics.

Population:

The population was a random sample of 19,698 individuals, 9,381 men and 10,317 women ages 20-93 years, drawn from the Copenhagen population of January 1, 1976. The oversampling of women was to better address why women have CHD-events several years older, on average, than men.

Methods:

The 1976-1978 initial exam, had a response rate of 74.0%; the second examination took place in 1981-1983 (response 70.1%), the third in 1991-1994 (61.2 %) and the fourth in 2001-2003 (49.5%). Procedures are described in reference 1.

Results:

By the end of 2006, some 500 articles and 43 theses were published, including original findings about apparently protective actions of physical activity and wine consumption.

Conclusions:

“Denmark has an unique opportunity for epidemiological studies because the follow-up of participants in our medical system is almost 100%, both for morbidity and mortality. However, physicians on the steering committee must work without salary as no professional or academic positions exist in CVD epidemiology and prevention research. The total staff costs of the City Study for a year are about $150,000 US dollars. The project has still not found why women survive men by several years, but continues to work on it.” (PS)