Cohort profile: The Tromso Study

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Abstract
The Tromsø Study was initiated in 1974 in an attempt to help combat the high mortality of cardiovascular diseases in Norway, that was particularly pronounced among middle-aged men. In the mid-1970s, Norwegian men had a 20% risk of dying of myocardial infarction (MI) before the age of 75 years. The situation in Northern Norway was even worse.1 The primary aim of the Tromsø Study was to determine causes of the high cardiovascular mortality, and also to develop ways of preventing heart attacks and strokes. This was reflected through the first name of the study: The Tromsø Heart Study. However, during the 37 years since the first examination of the Tromsø Study took place, increasing emphasis has been put on other chronic diseases and conditions, in particular atrial fibrillation, venous thromboembolism, diabetes mellitus, osteoporosis and fractures. It has been a deliberate policy to invite a wide range of faculty research groups to join in with subprojects in the surveys, and there are currently some 100 different ongoing research projects based on the data from the consecutive six surveys.