Erfurt Male cohort Study (ERFORT Study). Study design and descriptive results

OBJECTIVES: The main objective of ERFORT Study is to investigate cardiovascular risk factors, life-style related factors and psychosocial factors with regard to total and cause-specific mortality and morbidity. This paper describes the study design, frequency data on cardiovascular and psychosocial factors at baseline survey, and findings of three 5 year follow-up medical examinations. Life status was followed for 30 years. METHODS: The Erfurt Male Cohort Study (ERFORT Study) is a population-based prospective cohort study and has its origin in the WHO initiated feasibility study to acquire experience in multi-factorial intervention programs. The baseline survey in 1973-75 examined a random population-based sample of 1,160 males aged 35-61 years (brutto response rate 74.6%) from the city of Erfurt, East Germany. RESULTS: Standardized and mostly validated methods were applied for a collection of data on cardiovascular risk factors, lifestyle-related and psychosocial factors, blood tests and ECG. Three consecutive follow-up examinations yielded datasets of 907, 740 and 609 subjects' re-examination in 1978-79, 1983-85 and 1988-90. Cardiovascular diseases such as myocardial infarction, angina pectoris, and claudication intermittent approximately doubled within a 15-year follow-up. Prevalence of diabetes strongly increases from 2.8% at baseline to 12.0% at the 15-years follow up. High blood pressure (> or = 160/95 mm Hg) only slightly increased, whereas the antihypertensive treatment increased from 8.7% to 33.6%. CONCLUSIONS: This data set of a German cohort followed for several decades is an outstanding database to answer questions about long-term associations between biological and psychosocial factors and mortality in men.