A decade of difference - BHF urges the middle-aged to have a heart risk check

"British Heart Foundation-funded research published today by the University of Oxford suggests the presence of three key heart disease risk factors in men aged 50 - smoking, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol – could translate into a reduced life expectancy of 10-15 years. The findings – published in the British Medical Journal - come from the 'Whitehall' study of over 19,000 men aged 40-69 years employed in the civil service in London. They were first examined in 1967-1970, before the records of 18,863 men were traced and 7,044 surviving participants were re-examined in 1997. The BHF funded the follow-up examination of the volunteers and health records, which have highlighted the results released today."