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:

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Kim DK, Kim JW, Kim S, et al. Polymorphism of angiotensin

discriminate between the various causes of death (30,31,44). Furthermore, it has been shown in the United Kingdom that underreporting of cerebrovascular and cardiovascular mortality as an underlying cause of death occurs relatively . infrequently (45). In the case of 90% of the individuals who died within four weeks of hospital admission because of stroke or ischemic heart disease, the disease was mentioned on the death certificate.

Conclusions. We conclude that the influence on disease risk of moderately increased ACE and PAI-1 activities that are associated with the ACE D/D and the PAI-1 4G/4G genotype is not large enough to affect mortality in the general population. Our data suggest, however, that the PAI-1 4G/4G genotype may play a role in fatal ischemic heart disease in elderly men. This observation requires confirmation in larger prospective studies.

Acknowledgments

We thank the Red Cross Blood Bank of Leidsenhage, especially Marjo Dirven, for collecting blood samples from the control population, and the Central Bureau of Statistics for generously making available the mortality statistics and data base linking.

Reprint requests and correspondence: Dr. P. E. Slagboom, TNO Prevention and Health, Gaubius Laboratory, Zernikedreef 9, P.O. Box 2215, 2301 CE, Leiden, The Netherlands.

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