RADIOLOGIC HEART-VOLUME AND SUBSEQUENT MORTALITY

In the London Civil Service Health Survey, both p.a. and lateral 100 mm chest films were taken on 12630 men aged 40 and above. Radiologic heart volume was calculated on a 10 per cent sample and to the sample were added the films of all other subjects from the cohort who had died within 5 years of the survey, or more than 5 years afterwards. Radiologic heart volume could be calculated on 1390 subjects of whom 233 had died within 5 years, and 47 after 5 years had elapsed. For deaths within the first 5 years there was a stepwise increase in mortality with increasing quintile of heart volume. Radiologic heart volume predicts death from cardiovascular disease both within 5 years of estimation and for deaths occurring more than 5 years after examination.