Westmannia Cardiovascular Risk Factors Study

In the county of Västmanland (Latin: Westmannia), situated about 100 km west of Stockholm, the Westmannia Cardiovascular Risk Factors Study (WICTORY) was started in 1989 by the County Council of Västmanland with the aim of lowering the cardiovascular mortality rate in the county until year 2000. In the study, it was intended that all men and women born 1940–1959 and living in the county of Västmanland (approximately 70,000 individuals), should be offered a free health examination at a primary health care centre for the presence of CVD risk factors, at the time of turning 40 or 50 years old. The study included a clinical examination by a primary health care nurse, which measured height, weight, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, pulse rate, total cholesterol level, glucose level, waist circumference and hip circumference. At this visit, the participants also handed in a self-administered questionnaire including, among others, questions about the participant’s occupation, education, diabetic status, nicotine use, physical activity and history of CVD. Based on the results of the clinical examination and the answers given in the questionnaire, the participants were given advices about how to live a more healthy life. After enrollment in the study had been completed in early 2000, the study has continued following the participant’s morbidity and mortality with the help of register data from Swedish authorities. Purpose: To examine the association between cardiovascular risk factors at middle age and future morbidity and mortality.