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Associations between coffee drinking, use of table fat with low contents of polyunsaturated fatty acids, preference for low-fat milk, use of fruits and vegetables, smoking and lack of physical activity in leisure time have been described in a cross-sectional study of 14,582 men and women. Coffee drinking was negatively related to the use of low-fat milk, use of table fat high in polyunsaturated fatty acids, use of fruits and vegetables, and positively associated with bread consumption. Three persons out of four with high coffee consumption (greater than 8 cups/day) were daily smokers, in contrast to about a quarter of those with low coffee consumption (less than 1 cup/day). In women and young men, high coffee consumption was associated with low physical activity at leisure. The results suggest that high coffee consumption may be an indicator of a life style with high risk for coronary heart disease.

A family study of serum high density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol and total serum cholesterol concentration has been undertaken, and the relation to age, sex, cigarette smoking, physical activity and familial occurrence of myocardial infarction (MI) was examined. HDL cholesterol was determined in 251 females and 194 males and total serum cholesterol in 677 females and 657 males, all aged 0-49 years. With respect to HDL cholesterol, significant sex differences were observed both in absolute level and in age-related change. A negative correlation between HDL cholesterol and total serum cholesterol was observed in all age groups except females aged 0-19 years, supporting the hypothesis of HDL as a ""clearing'' lipoprotein. HDL cholesterol showed a positive correlation only in pairs of first-degree relatives involving the mother and in sib-sib paris of the same sex. On the other hand, for serum cholesterol a positive correlation was found among all family members, although significantly higher between first-degree relatives than between spouses. No relation was found between cigarette smoking, physical activity of familial occurrence of MI and the HDL cholesterol or total serum cholesterol concentrations. In accordance with the ""HDL hypothesis'', the present finding could partly explain the higher incidence of ischaemic heart disease (IHD) in males than in females, and partly also the high risk which is transmitted from women with IHD to their first-degree relatives.

The mortality from coronary heart disease (CHD) in Norway increased rapidly during 1951-70, the highest mortality rates as well as the most rapid increases being found in Northern Norway. Several surveys of CHD were then planned, one of them is reported here. All men, 20-49 years of age, living in the municipality of Tromsøo, Troms county, were called up for examination. In total, 6595 men, 74.4% of those invited, were examined. Cholesterol, triglyceride and Hb values, BP, body weight and height, the percentage of smokers, and cigarette consumption have been tabulated according to area, age, work schedule, health condition, physical activity and ethnic background. The results suggest that the relatively high mortality from CHD in Northern Norway is associated with high serum cholesterol concentrations as well as a relatively high prevalence of smoking. During the screening there were indications of changes in dietary habits in the municipality, presumably as a result of accompanying publicity.

The relationship between HDL cholesterol and relative body weight, cigarette smoking and leisure time physical activity were examined in 7338 healthy men and 6768 healthy women aged 20-53 years, living in Finnmark County, Northern Norway. The independent effects of the three factors were examined by an analysis of covariance. In both sexes a strong and almost linear negative association was observed between relative body weight and HDL cholesterol. HDL cholesterol was lower in smokers than in non-smokers, the difference being more pronounced in females than in males. A weak but significant positive association was observed between leisure time physical activity and HDL cholesterol in both sexes.