Risk factors and mortality among female Riga population. An autopsy study.

Neoplasms and cardiovascular diseases were the most common causes of death in an investigation of 518 autopsies of Riga females aged 20 to 59 years. The prevalence of examined risk factors in this population was as follows: Arterial hypertension: 15.2%; hypercholesterolemia: 28.1%; smoking: 42.1%; overweight: 22.4%; increased thickness of subcutaneous fat tissue: 54.0%; low physical activity: 65.4%; diabetes mellitus: 4.9%. Coronary and vascular deaths were highest in incidence among persons with arterial hypertension, overweight, and increased fat tissue thickness.