Coronary heart disease in British soldiers

Lynch, Peter M. D (1983) Coronary heart disease in British soldiers. MD thesis, University of Glasgow.

Abstract

The aim of this thesis is to present evidence that young soldiers in the British army have a higher mortality from coronary heart disease (CHD) than the civil population from which they derive, and to investigate the causes of this higher mortality, with particular reference to the role of strenuous physical exercise. Chapter One, the introduction, outlines the historical perspective of exercise in populations and individuals. It goes on to describe the attitude of the British army to exercise, both voluntary and compulsory, and to place this in the context of expert and lay opinions on the dangers of exercise. Next follows a historical review of CHD, its risk factors, and its pathology. The body's response to exercise in health and disease is discussed, and finally, the present state of our knowledge on the benefits and risks of exercise. Using data on CHD mortality in the British army culled from the 5 year period 1973-7, and published data from the Office of Population Census and Surveys, the Scottish Home and Health Department, and the Northern Ireland Office, for the same period. Chapter Two compares age specific mortality ratios and concludes that British soldiers under the age of 40 years have a significantly higher, and British officers of all ages a significantly lower mortality from CHD than United Kingdom civilians irrespective of social class. It discovers an inverse relation between CHD mortality and army rank similar to that seen in the civilian social classes, and a trend of diminishing difference in CHD mortality with age between officers and men also similar to that seen in the civilian social classes. The gist of the data was published in the British Medical Journal in 1981.

• Item Type: Thesis (MD)
• Qualification Level: Doctoral
• Additional Information: Adviser: T DV Lawrie
• Keywords: Epidemiology
• Date of Award: 1983
• Depositing User: Enlighten Team
• Unique ID: glathesis:1983-72921
• Copyright: Copyright of this thesis is held by the author.
• Date Deposited: 11 Jun 2019 11:06
• Last Modified: 11 Jun 2019 11:06
• URI: https://theses.gla.ac.uk/id/eprint/72921