Vaccination Coverage of the Elderly in Greece: A Cross-Sectional Nationwide Study.

Vaccines are important for older adults, and the morbidity and mortality of vaccine-preventable diseases among older adults are high. There are limited data on vaccination coverage among elderly people in Greece. The aim of this observational study was to record the vaccination coverage for vaccines recommended by the National Vaccination Program in Greece for the elderly people ≥60 years old. Two hundred general practitioners (GPs) around the country from the primary healthcare system were invited to "participate," and one hundred fifty from them participated in the present study. The GPs were selected using geographically stratified random sampling methodology. Two thousand and seventy-two participants participated in the present study: of which, 1043 were males and 1029 were females. The mean age of the participants was 73.3 years, and 83% vaccination coverage for flu vaccine, 49.5% for conjugate pneumococcal vaccine, and 23.5% for polysaccharide pneumococcal vaccine were recorded. In addition, the vaccination coverage for herpes zoster vaccine was 20%, while very low percentages were recorded for diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, and polio vaccine for adults. We found significant gaps in vaccination coverage, especially with regard to pneumococcal, herpes zoster, and tetanus. On the contrary, influenza vaccination coverage was satisfactory.

Anti-Inflammatory Nutrition and Successful Ageing in Elderly Individuals: The Multinational MEDIS Study.

BACKGROUND: The role of diet and inflammation in successful ageing is not transparent, and as such, is still being investigated. The aim of the present work was to evaluate the inflammatory potential of dietary habits in the successful ageing of a random sample of older adults living in the Mediterranean basin and who participated in the MEDIS (MEDiterranean ISlands) study. METHODS: During 2005-2016, 3,128 older adults (aged 65-100 years) from 24 Mediterranean islands and the rural Mani region (Peloponnesus) of Greece were enrolled in the study. A multidimensional successful ageing index consisting of 10 components was employed. A validated and reproducible Food Frequency Questionnaire (FFQ) was used to evaluate the dietary habits of the older adults. A nutrition anti-inflammatory (NAI) score based on the participants' specific dietary habits was assessed. RESULTS: Participants with high NAI scores (proinflammatory nutrition) had a higher prevalence of hypercholesterolemia and lower levels of successful ageing. After adjusting for several confounders, the NAI score was associated with successful ageing (-0.03, 95% CI -0.5 to -0.006). Stratified analysis by gender and advanced age revealed heterogeneity in the NAI score, predicting successful ageing. CONCLUSIONS: The inflammatory potential of nutrition was reported as an important factor for successful ageing, suggesting that further research is needed on the role of anti- and proinflammatory dietary habits in healthy and successful ageing.

Diphtheria and Tetanus Immunity Status among Greek Adults: Results from a Nationwide Seroprevalence Study.

Diphtheria and tetanus could lead to serious morbidity. We aimed to evaluate immunity levels by measuring specific IgG antibodies for diphtheria and tetanus in serum samples from a nationally expanded sample of the Greek population. A geographically stratified sampling approach based on regional units (NUTS level 2) was applied by considering variables such as age group (30-80+) and sex. In total, 1201 persons (47.7% males and 52.3% females) participated in the survey. Bivariate analysis revealed a negative relationship between diphtheria and tetanus median antibody titers and age. The overall seropositivity rate for diphtheria IgG antibodies (≥0.10 IU/mL) was estimated at 31.5%. Regarding tetanus, the total seropositivity rate was estimated at 59.5% (tetanus IgG antibodies ≥0.10 IU/mL). Logistic regression analysis indicated that age groups <40 years and 40-59 years were independently associated with tetanus seropositivity. Logistic regression also revealed that male sex and being aged 60-69 years were independent risk factors for diphtheria-related seropositivity. Lastly, being resident of some regions was an independent risk factor for both diphtheria- and tetanus-related seropositivity. The present study shows that Greek adults are still not completely immune to diphtheria and tetanus. It is likely possible to achieve optimal immunization coverage by implementing serviceable public health initiatives after comprehending real community needs.

Pertussis Prevalence in Adult Population in Greece: A Seroprevalence Nationwide Study.

The reported cases of pertussis vary considerably globally. In the present nationwide study, we aimed to record the Bordetella pertussis prevalence in Greece by measuring serum IgG specific antibody levels to pertussis toxin (anti-PT IgG). General practitioners and laboratories participated in this study from 12 regions of Greece. A geographically stratified sampling plan based on regional units (NUTS level 2) was applied in order to produce a representative sample, taking into consideration age group (30−39, 40−49, 50−59, 60−69, 70−79 and 80+) and sex. In total, 1169 subjects participated in the study. The percentage of participants with anti-PT IgG antibodies higher than 50 IU/mL was 3.7%. The levels of anti-PT IgG antibodies of total sample ranged between 1.46 IU/mL to 126.60 IU/mL, with mean 17.74 IU/mL and standard deviation 14.03 U/mL (p-value < 0.001). The total seroprevalence of Greek regions for pertussis disease varied significantly among prefectures. The region with the highest seroprevalence was Peloponnese 21.3%, followed by the region of Central Greece 15.3%. The proportion of adults who have pertussis specific antibodies <50 IU/mL has been >90%, suggesting that a large number of adults may be vulnerable to infection of pertussis despite well-established vaccination programs in Greece. Despite the fact that vaccination reduced the number of reported pertussis cases in the last decades in Greece, our seroprevalence study may indicate that the herd immunity level among Greek adults is suboptimal.

Carotid artery stenting versus carotid endarterectomy: a comprehensive meta-analysis of short-term and long-term outcomes.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: The comparison between carotid endarterectomy and carotid artery stenting (CAS) remains a debated field, especially in the context of long-term outcomes. METHODS: Concerning the short-term (30-day) analysis, the numbers of outcomes per arm were abstracted, whereas outcomes per arm and hazard ratios were abstracted for long-term (≥1-year) results. RESULTS: Thirteen randomized trials (3723 carotid endarterectomy and 3754 CAS patients) were eligible. Regarding short-term outcomes, CAS was associated with elevated risk for stroke and "death or stroke." CAS also exhibited a marginal trend toward higher death and "death or disabling stroke" rates. Carotid endarterectomy presented with higher rates of myocardial infarction and cranial nerve injury. Concerning long-term outcomes, CAS was associated with higher rates of stroke (pooled OR, 1.37; 95% CI, 1.13 to 1.65) and "death or stroke" (pooled OR, 1.25; 95% CI, 1.06 to 1.48). These findings were replicated at the level of pooled hazard ratios and marginally regarding secondary preventive efficacy. The difference in long-term stroke rates was particularly sizeable in patients >68 years, but little difference in rates was observed in those <68 years. No statistically significant heterogeneity became evident. Metaregression did not reveal any significant modifying effect mediated by symptomatic/asymptomatic status, distal protection, early termination of trials, area of study origin, or CAS learning curve. CONCLUSIONS: This meta-analysis points to the significantly less frequent stroke events after carotid endarterectomy at the long-term context. The outcomes of carotid endarterectomy seem superior to CAS, but there may be subgroups, particularly younger patients, in whom the results seem equivalent.

Evaluation of a nutrition intervention in adolescents of an urban area in Greece: short- and long-term effects of the VYRONAS study.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the short-term (15-d) and long-term (12-month) effects of a school-based health and nutrition education intervention on diet, nutrition intake and BMI. DESIGN: The 12-week teacher-implemented intervention in combination with seminars organized for parents was aimed at improving children's diet and nutrition knowledge. The intervention took place between September 2007 and January 2008. The participants were randomized to two study groups, the intervention group (IG) and control group (CG), and were examined prior to the intervention on a variety of health knowledge, dietary, behavioural and anthropometric indices. The same measurements were collected 15 d and 1 year after the intervention. SETTING: All high schools in Vyronas, a densely populated district of Athens, Greece. SUBJECTS: The sample consisted of 191 students aged 12-13 years. RESULTS: Twelve months after the intervention, the programme was effective in reducing various indices in the IG compared with baseline findings (BMI: 23.3 (sd 2.8) v. 24.0 (sd 3.1) kg/m2, P < 0.001; daily energy intake: 8112.4 (sd 1412.4) v. 8503.3 (sd 1419.3) kJ/d, P < 0.001; total fat intake: 31.3 (sd 4.4) v. 35.4 (sd 4.7) % of daily energy, P < 0.001). Except for BMI, decreases in the aforementioned indices were also observed 15 d after the intervention. In addition, students of the IG reduced their weekly consumption of red meat and non-home-made meals and increased their frequency of fruit and breakfast cereal consumption. CONCLUSIONS: The beneficial effects of this nutrition education intervention among adolescents may highlight the potential of such programmes in the prevention of obesity.

Dietary patterns in relation to socio-economic and lifestyle characteristics among Greek adolescents: a multivariate analysis.

BACKGROUND: We sought to evaluate the relationship between selected lifestyle and socio-economic characteristics and dietary habits of Greek adolescents. METHODS: During 2004, 2118 school adolescents were selected from twelve schools in Vyronas region, Athens. Dietary intake was assessed through a semi-quantitative FFQ. Principal components analysis was applied to extract dietary patterns. RESULTS: Seven components, explaining the 50% of the total variation in intake, were extracted. Component 1 ('junk food' pattern) was heavily loaded by the consumption of 'sweet' and 'salty' snacks, soft drinks and other 'fast foods'. Component 2 was characterized as 'red meat' consumption pattern. Component 3 was characterized by the consumption of vegetables, fruits and juices. Component 4 was characterized by the intake of dairy products, pasta and wholegrain bread. Component 5 can be described as rice, fish, potatoes and poultry intake. Component 6 was characterized by the consumption of 'traditional Greek cooked foods' and legumes, and component 7 was characterized by the consumption of eggs and white bread. Time spent watching television was positively associated with the 'junk food' pattern and inversely associated with the 'vegetarian/healthy' pattern. Moreover, the 'junk food' pattern was positively related to smoking status and the 'vegetarian/healthy' pattern was positively correlated with sports activities outside school. CONCLUSION: An unhealthy dietary behaviour is associated with an overall unhealthy lifestyle. Taking into account the fact that unhealthy eating habits and sedentary lifestyle have been associated with increased obesity prevalence, school- or community-based programmes should be conducted promoting healthy dietary and lifestyle behaviours.

Overweight/obesity and factors associated with body mass index during adolescence: the VYRONAS study.

AIM: To describe overweight and obese adolescents and to determine any correlations between an adolescent's body mass index (BMI) with personal (age, gender), lifestyle (sedentary/sport activities, smoking status) and parental (smoking status, BMI, number of cars) characteristics. METHODS: Cross-sectional data on weight, height and various characteristics from 2008 Greek adolescents (12- to 17-year olds, 50.85% boys), measured in 2005-2007, were used. RESULTS: Almost 1 in 5 (19.2%) boys and 1 in 7 (13.2%) girls 12-17 years of age were overweight while 4.4% of the boys and 1.7% of the girls were obese. The adolescents' age, mother's smoking status, father's and mother's BMI predicted boys' and girls' BMI (b = 0.551, 0.203, 0.110, 0.495 for boys, b = 0.233, 0.187, 0.180, 0.531 for girls, respectively, p < or = 0.05). Univariate analysis revealed that television watching/using personal computer/playing video games and playtime were not correlated with BMI, while an inverse association of exercising for > or = 5 h/week and BMI was found in both boys and girls (b =-1.098, -0.528, p = 0.005, 0.004 respectively). CONCLUSION: The results of our study underline the high prevalence of obesity during adolescence in Greece. Age and parental unhealthy behaviour (increased BMI and maternal smoking status) were positive predictors of increased BMI of adolescents in both genders.

The Diet-Lifestyle Index evaluating the quality of eating and lifestyle behaviours in relation to the prevalence of overweight/obesity in adolescents.

We sought to develop an index that incorporated various dietary and lifestyle behaviours that are associated with overweight/obesity status in adolescents. We assigned discrete scores into each component of the proposed index. The Diet-Lifestyle Index ranged from 11 to 57. We examined the accuracy of the index in relation to adolescents' body mass status using a sample of 2,008 students. The mean score of the index was 30.9+/-5.2 for boys and 31.4+/-4.7 for girls. The index was inversely associated with the odds of being obese/overweight (odds ratio = 0.93, 95% confidence interval=0.90-0.96), after adjusting for age and gender. Particularly, an 11/57-unit increase of the index was associated with a 6% and 9% decrease in the odds of being overweight/obesity in boys and girls, respectively (P<0.001). Thus, the proposed Diet-Lifestyle Index could be a useful tool in a primary healthcare setting for preventing obesity in adolescence.

Chronic cholecystitis in elderly patients. Correlation of the severity of inflammation with the number and size of the stones.

BACKGROUND: [corrected] The present study focused on cholecystectomized elderly patients and aimed to investigate whether inflammation in the gallbladder wall was associated with the number and size of gallstones, as well as the patients' age. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The present study included 306 cholecystectomized patients aged over 65 years. From the specimens derived from cholecystectomy, the gallstone number, the largest gallstone diameter and gallbladder wall thickness were determined. According to the histopathological examination, chronic inflammation was subdivided into mild-moderate and severe. Univariable analysis and multivariable logistic regression followed. RESULTS: Mild-moderate inflammation characterized 63.4% of the cases and severe inflammation 366%. Solitary gallstones were found in 13.1% of the cases, while multiple gallstones were found in 86.9% of the cases. The largest gallstone diameter was less than 1 cm in the majority of cases (73.2%). The gallbladder wall thickness was associated with the degree of inflammation (p < 0.001, Chi-square). In the univariable analysis, inflammation was positively associated with the diameter of the largest gallstone (p = 0.032, Chi-square), but negatively associated with the number of gallstones (p < 0.001, Chi-square) and patients' age (p = 0.008, logistic regression). The number of gallstones was negatively associated with the diameter of gallstones and positively associated with the patients' age. The diameter of the largest gallstone was negatively associated with the patients' age. In the multivariable logistic regression, the effect of age (OR = 0.95, 95% CI: 0.91-0.99) and solitary gallstones (OR = 2.66, 95% CI: 1.02-6.93) on inflammation persisted, but that of the largest gallstone diameter vanished. CONCLUSION: The elderly population presented mainly with multiple and small gallstones. Solitary gallstones and younger age were the most important predictors for severe inflammation.

Comparison of primary health care services between urban and rural settings after the introduction of the first urban health centre in Vyronas, Greece.

BACKGROUND: Discrepancies in primary health care (PHC) services between urban and rural settings have already been studied in many countries; however, limited information exists regarding countries, such as Greece, where public Health Centres dedicated to primary care have not been in existence in major cities. The objective of this study was to evaluate points of divergence or convergence between an urban and a rural health centre, in an attempt to underline challenges faced by the introduction of urban health centres in Greece. METHODS: A cross-sectional analysis was conducted in the Health Centre of Vyronas, Athens, Greece and in the Health Centre of Nea (New) Madytos, Thessaloniki Prefecture, Greece between February 2004 and February 2006. The profile of the population seeking care, as well as data on the services provided were collected and compared. In addition, the reason for choosing each primary health care unit was also recorded. RESULTS: More patients visited the urban centre (145415 vs. 112513), while the pattern of services utilized by the citizens differed significantly (p < 0.001) between the two Health Centres. The frequency of diagnoses made according to ICPC-2 was not similar in the two Health Centres (p < 0.001). The three most frequent reasons for the adults choosing the Health Centre for their problem were low waiting time, proximity to residence and satisfaction with the services provided in previous visits in Vyronas. CONCLUSION: The results of this study highlight the significant differences regarding PHC services utilization between an urban and a rural population. Urban citizens seem to have different health needs and reasons for choosing a PHC unit than residents of the Greek countryside. Proximity to health services and the public character of the urban health centre seem to be its main advantages.

Evaluation of a clinical attachment in Primary Health Care as a component of undergraduate medical education.

INTRODUCTION: It seems that there is a trend in undergraduate medical education towards including clinical attachments in primary health care (PHC) worldwide. The benefits of such initiatives are already well described. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of a clinical attachment in undergraduate medical students in a European country with an odd medical educational system that essentially lacks any kind of academic PHC departments. METHODS: The study was undertaken during 2005-2007. A non-mandatory 1-week clinical attachment in PHC/general practice was organized in an urban PHC unit by general practitioners with educational experience in collaboration with the Department of Physiology of the local medical school. The participants were a prospective cohort of medical students in the 2nd year of undergraduate studies. All participating students sat a pre-defined clinical exam which consisted of multiple choice questions, mini case papers and an objective-structured clinical examination before and after the attachment. In addition, the students rated the whole process. RESULTS: The response ratio was 77.06%. The mean score on objective structured clinical examination of participants increased from 30.70/100 to 62.28/100 (p < 0.001). The students' impression of the study was rather positive (4.39/5). DISCUSSION: The educational intervention of including a clinical attachment in an undergraduate curriculum seems to have encouraging results, considering the peculiarity of inexistence of academic departments of PHC or General Practice in the national medical schools and the inexperience of students regarding similar concepts.

Brucella Seroprevalence in a High-Risk Population in Greece: A Cross-Sectional Study.

INTRODUCTION: Brucellosis is a zoonosis with high occupational risk. However, seroprevalence of Brucella antibodies among occupational groups is not known, since studies in endemic countries are rare. METHODS: A cross-sectional seroprevalence study was conducted among livestock farmers in an endemic region in Greece. A low-risk group of individuals that just moved in the region was used as controls. Rose Bengal, Wright standard tube agglutination (STA) tests, and specific IgG and IgM antibodies using ELISA were evaluated; differences and odds ratios were calculated. Results were compared with studies from other endemic regions. RESULTS: 100 livestock farmers and family members and 34 first-year students were enrolled. Rose Bengal results were 18% positive versus 0% (p=0.007); Wright STAs for Brucella melitensis were 8% versus 2.9% (p=0.448) and for Brucella abortus they were 2% versus 2.9% (p=0.588). ELISA IgG was positive in 8% of farmers versus 2.9% of students (p=0.448). Parallel testing with Rose Bengal and ELISA IgG was positive in 3% versus 0% (p=0.571). No significant odds ratios were calculated for Wright STAs and ELISA IgG. CONCLUSIONS: Healthy livestock farmers may present with positive Rose Bengal test but this translates to true seroprevalence in only a small proportion. Livestock farmers have no significant seroprevalence that may obscure diagnosis of acute brucellosis in clinical settings.

Lifestyle determinants of healthy ageing in a Mediterranean population: The multinational MEDIS study.

BACKGROUND: To evaluate modifiable, lifestyle risk factors of cardiovascular disease (CVD) among older adults, across ageing, in the Mediterranean area. METHODS: During 2005-2017, 3131 individuals from 26 Mediterranean islands of 5 countries, ≥65 years of age, were voluntarily enrolled. Anthropometrical, clinical and socio-demographic characteristics, dietary habits, lifestyle parameters were measured through standard procedures. Analyses were performed by year and across consecutive age groups of the participants. RESULTS: A decrease in the prevalence of current smoking (p < 0.001), engagement in physical activities (p = 0.001) and participation in social events (p = 0.001) for every year increase in age was found. Moderate alcohol drinking increased through ageing (p = 0.008), whereas adherence to Mediterranean diet remained stable, but adequate (p = 0.90). Trend analysis also revealed that a quadratic (U-shape) function better characterized the association between ageing and total cardiometabolic risk factors burden (p for trend <0.001). CONCLUSIONS: The gaps in the understanding of factors affecting longevity and healthy ageing remain; public health authorities and stakeholders should focus on the lifestyle determinants of healthy ageing, that seems to be an effective mean for improving older peoples' health.

Mediterranean diet and depression among older individuals: The multinational MEDIS study.

BACKGROUND: Depression has been linked to a large and growing economic and societal burden worldwide. In Europe, depression is one of the most frequent mental disorders across all age groups, but particularly in people aged 65 years and over, and higher depressive symptoms have been reported among individuals with chronic diseases (e.g., diabetes and heart disease). AIM: To evaluate the role of adherence to the Mediterranean diet (MedDiet) in depression in a sample of older people living in the Mediterranean basin. METHODS: Standard procedures were used to determine socio-demographic, lifestyle, and clinical characteristics of the participants, as well as their dietary habits, and depressive symptoms were evaluated using the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS). Multi-adjusted logistic and linear regression analyses were carried out to evaluate the associations between participants' characteristics and depression. RESULTS: Participants classified as having mild or severe depression were less educated and physically active, and more diabetic, and they reported less adherence to the MedDiet. Adherence to the MedDiet was associated with the absence of depression [(OR, 95% CI): 0.65, 0.50-0.85]. In addition, daily tea drinking was also related to the absence of depression [(OR, 95% CI): 0.51, 0.40-0.65]. CONCLUSIONS: Greater adherence to the MedDiet and daily tea drinking seem to have a beneficial effect on depressive symptoms in older adults.

Associations among benign prostate hypertrophy, atypical adenomatous hyperplasia and latent carcinoma of the prostate.

AIM: To investigate the frequency of atypical adenomatous hyperplasia (AAH) and its associations with benign prostate hypertrophy (BPH) and latent histological carcinoma of the prostate (LPC) in autopsy material. METHODS: Two hundred and twelve prostate specimens obtained from autopsy material were subjected to whole mount analysis in an attempt to investigate the associations among BPH, AAH and LPC. RESULTS: Most histological carcinomas and AAH lesions were found in enlarged prostates with intense hypertrophy. No statistically significant relation was found between BPH and the main characteristics of LPC, such as tumor volume, histological differentiation and biological behavior. Our data regarding multi-focal tumors showed a tendency for multi-focal carcinomas to develop in larger prostates, and a tendency of AAH lesions to develop in larger prostates. No statistically significant relation was found between AAH and LPC. CONCLUSION: There seems not any causative aetiopathogenetical or topographical relation between AAH lesions and prostate adenocarcinoma. AAH lesion seems to be a well-defined mimicker of prostatic adenocarcinoma, and the reported association of AAH with prostatic carcinoma could probably be an epiphenomenon.

Adenocarcinomas of the prostatic duct in necropsy material.

The general consensus about prostatic duct adenocarcinomas is that they have a rather aggressive biological behavior. In addition, studies or reports of latent adenocarcinoma of the prostatic duct in necropsy material are scarce in the literature. We report here three cases of adenocarcinoma of the prostatic duct that were found incidentally among 39 cases of latent acinar prostate adenocarcinomas in necropsy material. We examined the morphologic and histological features of these prostatic duct adenocarcinomas, in order to better understand their biological behavior. We identified two cases of mixed ductal-acinar adenocarcinoma and one case of pure ductal adenocarcinoma. The pure form had a favorable histological differentiation, while the mixed forms had intermediate histological differentiation patterns. Invasiveness was related to both volume and histological differentiation. The finding of prostatic ductal adenocarcinomas among autopsy material, as well as some of their histological features, suggest that these tumors might have a similar biological potential as prostatic acinar cancer.

General Practice as a career choice among undergraduate medical students in Greece.

BACKGROUND: Although General Practice (GP) was recognized as a medical specialty in Greece in 1986, the number of GPs is insufficient to cover needs and only few medical graduates choose GP as a career option. In the present study we investigated the profile of medical students in terms of their decisions regarding specialization and the possible association of career choices different from GP with the status of undergraduate training regarding GP. METHODS: The sample consisted of final year students in the Medical School of the University of Athens, Greece. Students filled in a self-reported questionnaire focusing on medical specialization, and GP in particular. RESULTS: Response rate was 82.5% with 1021 questionnaires collected, out of 1237 eligible medical students. Only 44 out of the 1021 (4.3%) respondents stated that GP is -or could be- among their choices for specialty. The most popular medical specialty was General Surgery (10.9%), followed by Cardiology (9.6%), Endocrinology (8.7%) and Obstetrics-Gynaecology (8.3%). The most common criterion for choosing GP was the guaranteed employment on completion of the residency (54.6%) while a 56.6% of total respondents were positive to the introduction of GP/FM as a curriculum course during University studies. CONCLUSION: Despite the great needs, GP specialty is currently not a career option among undergraduate students of the greater Medical University in Greece and is still held in low esteem. A university department responsible for undergraduate teaching, promotion and research in GP (where not available) is essential; the status of undergraduate training in general practice/family medicine seems to be one of the most important factors that influence physician career choices regarding primary care specialties.

Associations between coronary heart disease, obesity and histological prostate cancer.

OBJECTIVE: The present study investigates the possible associations between coronary heart disease and histological prostate carcinoma in autopsy material. MATERIAL AND METHOD: The material of our study, were 116 men between 55 years and 98 years of age, who died in the period of August 2002-January 2005. The initial segment of the aorta and the prostate glands of all cadavers were removed while the initial 30 mm of the left and right coronary arteries and the peripheral zone of the prostate gland underwent pathologic examination. RESULTS: Of all subjects examined 71.8% had pathological findings suggesting advanced coronary heart disease. Twenty out of 116 cadavers were found with histological carcinoma in their prostate specimen. Among subjects positive for prostate cancer, 12 had died of cardiovascular diseases, while 16 had macroscopic evidence of advanced coronary artery obstructive disease, a finding that was confirmed on pathologic examination. Although most of the subjects had atheromatous lesions on the coronary arteries, the percentage of men with prostate cancer, which had advanced atheromatosis, was greater when compared to those of subjects without prostate cancer. The relation between the coronary artery obstructive disease severity and the presence of latent prostate cancer was statistically significant (P = 0.02). No statistically significant correlation was obtained between body mass index and the presence of prostate cancer. CONCLUSIONS: Our results indicate that there could be an association between coronary artery obstructive disease and prostate cancer, however due to the relatively low sample further studies are needed in order to confirm such findings.