The PRIME study
Prospective Epidemiological Study of Myocardial Infarction (PRIME) Study:
The PRIME study examined the classic and putative cardiovascular risk factors to explain the large difference in heart disease incidence between Ireland and France (23). The study includes four cohorts of men aged 50-59; from Belfast, Northern Ireland (N=2,745) and Lille (N=2,633), Toulouse (N=2,610) and Strasbourg (N=2,612) in France. Baseline examinations took place in 1990-1993 and targeted cohorts which had broadly similar social class structures to the background population, initially sampling from industries and various employment groups, employment groups with more than 10% of their workforce of foreign origin were excluded. Follow up until 2004 (Toulouse, Strasbourg and Lille) and until 2012 (Belfast) was achieved through annual follow up questionnaires with verification against national death registers, medical records, hospital discharge diagnoses. Endpoints were validated by expert medical committee.
http://www.thl.fi/publications/morgam/cohorts/full/uk/unk-bela.htm
http://www.thl.fi/publications/morgam/cohorts/full/france/fra-lila.htm
http://www.thl.fi/publications/morgam/cohorts/full/france/fra-stra.htm
http://www.thl.fi/publications/morgam/cohorts/full/france/fra-toua.htm