Monica study

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In the MONICA study the WHO , one of the largest medical epidemiological studies worldwide, causes and trends for differences in are mortality from cardiovascular diseases studied in different countries. "Monica" is an acronym for "MONItoring CArdiovascular disease".

The study was launched by the World Health Organization in 1978 after a symposium at the National Institute of Health of the American Health Authority . At this symposium, a decline in age-specific mortality rates for coronary heart disease in the western world was discussed, for which there was no substantiated explanation at the time.

37 centers in 21 countries around the world participated in the cohort study carried out between 1976 and 2002 ; a total of data from over 10 million patients were collected and evaluated. Monica had not only contributed to the creation of databases for prevention research, but also had a major impact on the successful development of cardiovascular research worldwide. Among other things, risk factors for heart and circulatory diseases such as arterial hypertension (high blood pressure), high cholesterol levels and nicotine were identified. As a result, more targeted guidelines in prevention and therapy have been able to achieve a large reduction in coronary heart disease and stroke in particular .

literature

  • Hense HW epidemiology of arterial hypertension and implications for prevention. 10-year results of the MONICA study Augsburg . German Med. Wochenschrift 125, 46, pp. 1397-1402, 2000