Psychosoziale Merkmale Herz-Kreislauf-Gefährdeter — Ergebnisse epidemiologischer Studien bei Männern in einer Großstadt und psychoprophylaktischer Interventionen in einer Risikopopulation

Abstract

A prospective study of cardiovascular disease in an urban population of 40- to 59-year-old men (n = 1105) was carried out between 1974/75 and 1980/81, the diagnostic results of which (somatic risk factors, psychological and sociological characteristics) are presented in this contribution and supplemented by a more detailed examination of the occupational and familial backgrounds of 88 men. Samples of subjects „without somatic risk factors,“ „with high blood pressure,“ „with raised total cholesterol,“ and „who smoked cigarettes“ were characterized multidimensionally using multivariate analysis. The results speak against wholesale typologies and suggest the necessity of multidimensional assessment of a person at risk of cardiovascular disease, including his or her sociological and psychological characteristics and habits with regard to health care.The implementation and results of a 40-h behavioral training course with 569 leading employees in industry are then discussed. Blood pressure, total cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, and triglycerides were tested in a random sample (n = 100) at the beginning of and 18 months after the training. The results indicate that the training brought positive somatic effects.