PROCAM Study
About the PROCAM Study:
The PROCAM Study is a large observation study which focuses on cardiovascular diseases. A typical prospective study such as the PROCAM Study compares the data collected at the beginning of the study from people who developed a disorder in the course of the observation period with the data of those who remained healthy.
The aim of the prospective studies is to detect risk factors of coronary heart disease, stroke and other medical conditions, to improve risk identification and early diagnosis as well as to provide recommendations for an early prevention from the data collected.
How is the study carried out?
The study was initiated in 1978 by Prof. Dr. G. Assmann at the Institute of Arteriosclerosis Research at the University of Münster. Employees of large firms and public authorities situated within a radius of approx. 100 km around the city of Münster in the northwest of Germany participated in the study. In order to avoid long travel times, the examinations were carried out on location or in specially equipped buses on the premises.
By July 2007, 50,000 people - 31,376 men and 18,624 women – had participated in the study. Within the scope of a detailed preventive medical check-up for heart attack and stroke, the health status of participants was determined by means of standardized questionnaires, blood pressure values, anthropometrical data (body mass index, hip and waist circumference) as well as a fasting blood sample to obtain more than 30 laboratory values. At four-year intervals all participants are contacted per letter to ascertain if any intermittent diseases have occurred and of which kind they are. Persons who already suffered a heart attack or stroke prior to the first examination are excluded from the follow-up studies. When a participant dies, suffers a heart attack or stroke, develops cancer or another disease, medical records are requested from the hospital and examining doctor in order to ensure the diagnosis or cause of death. All documents are evaluated by independent experts.
Study outcome
On the basis of this study, differences could be observed regarding the incidence and occurrence of certain risk factors between the group of persons who suffered a heart attack or stroke within 10 years possibly resulting in their death, and those who showed no signs of medical conditions.
The comparison of both groups made it possible to identify nine risk factors of a heart attack. Furthermore, the results showed that a varying significance or emphasis can be assigned to the nine risk factors. Besides gender, age proved to be the most important risk factor, followed by LDL-cholesterol, smoking status, HDL-cholesterol, systolic blood pressure, early heart attack within the family, diabetes mellitus and triglycerides. Mathematical formulas (algorithms) were subsequently devised, taking these risk factors into account. These algorithms enable us to evaluate the so-called global risk of suffering a heart attack or sudden cardiac death resulting from a coronary heart disease within 10 years. Several tests such as the PROCAM Quick test, the PROCAM Health test and the PROCAM Special test were developed which differ in the number of risk factors taken into consideration and which can be used by laymen, pharmacists, physicians and specialists. In order to assess the individual heart attack, risk point systems were additionally created which can be easily applied in practices, without the aid of computers.
Using an analogous method, a test was also developed to detect a stroke risk: the PROCAM Stroke test.
The Assmann-Foundation for Prevention provides you with all necessary tests online and as downloads on its web page.
It has to be emphasized that the risk of a heart attack or stroke cannot simply be determined by single risk factors. The overall risk has to be evaluated taking several risk factors into consideration. Identifying the risk of a heart attack or stroke with the aid of the PROCAM Test allows the early detection of the risk of contracting a disease thereby providing the possibility of a timely prevention, especially in high risk groups whose disorders have not manifested clinically yet.