Life expectancy and cause of death in men examined at medical check-ups in 1964.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: The purpose of the study was to determine the associations between blood pressure, body mass index and smoking habits, recorded at routine health check-ups with the occupational health officer, and life expectancy and cause-specific mortality through several decades. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Participants in the Linseed Oil Study were followed from 1967 through 2005 with respect to total and cause-specific mortality in the Cause of Death Registry. The population studied consisted of 15,934 men who were born between 1905 and 1914 and were in work in 1967. The analyses used various multivariate regression methods. RESULTS: A total of 15,535 participants (97.5%) had died, and the average age at death was 76.6 years (SD 9.1). Blood pressure, body mass index and cigarette smoking were related to the age of death and mortality due to cardiovascular disease, lung cancer and respiratory system diseases. High systolic blood pressure (≥ 160 mm) was associated with a life-expectancy shortening of 5 years, 15 cigarettes daily with 3.5 years and a confirmed elevated sedimentation rate with a 3.3 year shortening of life expectancy. The excess mortality persisted throughout the follow-up period. The association with blood pressure gradually lessened, while the association with smoking and body mass index did not change over time. The association with smoking was weaker than in most early studies. INTERPRETATION: The results of routine health check-ups in the occupational health service can predict lost years of life through several decades.