Table 1 Characteristics of Included Studies, by Year of Publication – Case-Control Studies (N = 6)

Beard

1984 [23]

1960–1974

Rochester, Minnesota, USA

Unmarried women.

169, hospital admissions

338 age-matched (3y), seen at same clinic in same year as diagnosis for matched case, no prior CVD diagnosis

< 60

C

Incident cases of CHD (angina, myocardial infarction, sudden unexpected death)

La Vecchia

1987 [31]

1983–1986

Northern Italy

Women with recurrent infarction or uncertain diagnostic criteria.

202, hospital admissions

374, under age 55 admitted to same hospital with acute disease other than CVD, malignant, metabolic, hormonal or gynecologic (and not related to smoking/alcohol)

< 55 y, median age 47 (cases) 45 (controls: 24–54)

C

First time myocardial infarction

Talbott

1989 [37]

1973–1975

Pennsylvania, USA

Never married, no living relatives, prior history of CVD

67 cases (death records in one county)

73 neighborhood controls, alive, within 10 years age match, Caucasian.

25–64, mean age 54.6 (cases) 43.4 (controls)

M

Sudden cardiac death

Palmer

1992 [34]

1986–1990

Massachusetts, USA

Controls: people without phone-listing excluded (27%).

858, hospital admissions

858 controls from registry, 5 years age range, same precinct of residence.

45–69, mean age 60

E

First time, non-fatal myocardial infarction

Okamoto

2001 [33]

1992–1997

Nagoya, Japan

Aged ≥80 or <30

124 consecutive cases

248 age-matched (2 y) controls, one hospital (patients with gastro-intestinal disease) and one community control per case.

30–79, mean age 60 (cases) and 60.3 (controls)

C

First time subarachnoid hemorrhage

Bertuccio

2007 [24]

3 studies: 1983–1992 1988–1989 1995–2003

Italy

None mentioned

609, in hospital

1106 (in hospital for acute diseases unrelated to smoking and other recognized myocardial infarction risk factors)

18–79, median age 56 y (cases) 53 y (controls)

E

First time myocardial infarction