SHEEP - Stockholm Heart Epidemiology Program

SHEEP (the Stockholm Heart Epidemiology Program) is a population based case-referent study of risk factors for first episode of acute myocardial infarction in women and men in the ages 45-70 years living in the Stockholm County. Exposure information was collected by a questionnaire and a health examination including blood sampling. A large number of potential risk factors were included in the questionnaire items and comprised occupational, social, as well as life style or individual factors. A total of 5452 subjects were included in SHEEP: 2246 cases and 3206 referents. The response rate was higher among men than among women. Exposure information based on both the questionnaire and biological data from the health examination was available for 78% of the male and 67% of the female non-fatal cases; the corresponding figures for their referents were 68% and 64%. Purpose: To simultaneously test several hypotheses concerning potential risk factors for acute myocardial infarction, first event. To compare the effect of different risk factors/exposures between women and men. To identify and evaluate potential effect modification between different risk factors.