Elsevier

The Lancet

Volume 324, Issue 8403, 15 September 1984, Pages 600-604
The Lancet

WHO COOPERATIVE TRIAL ON PRIMARY PREVENTION OF ISCHAEMIC HEART DISEASE WITH CLOFIBRATE TO LOWER SERUM CHOLESTEROL: FINAL MORTALITY FOLLOW-UP: Report of the Committee of Principal Investigators

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Abstract

This is the final report on mortality amongst men in the WHO cooperative trial of the prevention of ischaemic heart disease (IHD) by clofibrate and it takes the follow-up a further 4 years to the end of 1982. Mean observation was 13·2 years, 5·3 in the trial and 7·9 afterwards. 1788 deaths were recorded in 208 000 man-years. In the 877 new deaths reported here, there was an excess of 9 deaths in the high cholesterol control group compared with the clofibrate-treated group. In the whole period there were 70 (11%) more deaths in the clofibrate-treated group. Excess mortality in the clofibrate-treated group was much greater during the "treatment period" (there was an excess of 47% during treatment compared with 5% after treatment had ended) and was due to a wide variety of causes other than IHD. Thus, the excess mortality in the clofibrate-treated group has not continued after the end of treatment. The substantial excess previously reported remains unexplained.

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Cited by (0)

Report prepared by Prof. M. F. OLIVER, Dr. J. A. HEADY, Prof. J. N. MORRIS, and Ms. J. COOPER. Principal investigators: I. Gyarfas, Hungarian Institute of Cardiology, Budapest (G. Lamm 1966–74); J. Widimsky, Institute for Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Prague (H. Geizerova 1968–1980; J. Fodor, 1966–68); K. G. Green, ICI, Macclesfield; J. A. Heady, Medical Research Council, Royal Free Hospital School of Medicine, London; G. Lamm, Ruprecht-Karls-Universitat, Heidelberg (WHO, Copenhagen 1974–81); J. N. Morris, Medical Research Council, London School of Hygiene and Tropicla Medicine; M. F. Oliver, Royal Infirmary, Edinburgh; T. Strasser, WHO, Geneva, 1973–83 (Z. Fejfar 1966–73).

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