Arcus senilis: its relation to certain attributes and risk factors in patients with coronary heart disease

The frequency and degree of arcus in relation to a number of attributes or risk factors were tested in 534 male patients of all ages with coronary heart disease. Frequency and degree of arcus were positively associated with age and with lifetime alcohol intake. Arcus was negatively associated with obesity. All other correlations proved negative. The link between precocious arcus senilis and coronary heart disease is discussed. This investigation failed to show any relation between the acknowledged high-grade coronary heart disease risk factors and arcus senilis. It is suggested that the relation between arcus and alcohol intake merits further investigation.

Coronary heart disease in women. Study of risk factors in 100 patients less than 60 years of age

One hundred women with classical coronary heart disease were studied in an attempt to identify etiological factors. Three dominant factors were hypertension, cigarette smoking, and hypercholesterolemia. Cigarette smoking and hypertension were present together or separately in 80 to 90% of the patients. Four patients were diabetics; six had grossly abnormal serum cholesterol levels; and there was one case each of associated myxedema, aortic stenosis, and postoperative hypotension. Comments are made about the role of family history, obesity, hypercholesterolemia, abnormal glucose tolerance, exercise and dietary experience, and the influence of the menopause. It is believed that the proper control of hypertension in the population and the elimination of cigarette smoking would cause an appreciable or even dramatic reduction in the incidence of precocious and middle-aged coronary heart disease in women.