Actual nutrition and its association with risk factors of coronary heart disease (CHD) were studied in a population of males aged 50-54 years living in Tallinn, as a whole and with regard to their nationality. Imbalance, as well as difference in the nutrition of the Estonians and Russians have been revealed. The incidence rate of CHD is directly associated with the total fat consumption; arterial hypertension is associated with alcohol intake; excessive body weight--with low consumption of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUSFA), low ratios of PUSFA and saturated fatty acids (SFA), and with high protein consumption. Inverse relationship of cholesterol and high-density lipoprotein (HDLP) content with fat consumption, and direct relationship with other complex carbohydrates have been recorded. Triglyceride content is directly related with the consumption of fats, proteins and complex carbohydrates, and inversely related with PUSFA consumption, cholesterol content is in inverse relationship with starch consumption.