Figure 1.
Hazard ratios for all coronary heart disease (top panel) [The cut-points defining the fifths of each cytokine were based on the distribution of values observed in the random subcohort, so as to be representative of the expected distribution in the population (i.e. avoiding potential bias due to purposeful over-sampling of cases in the case-cohort design). Assuming a log-linear relationship the age- and sex-adjusted hazard ratio (95% CI) for any coronary heart disease per 1-SD higher values were: 1.37 (1.21, 1.54) for IL-6, 1.26 (1.11, 1.44) for IL-18, 1.30 (1.16, 1.46) for MMP-9, 1.01 (0.89, 1.15) for sCD40L, and 1.13 (1.01, 1.27) for TNF-α] and for non-fatal MI or coronary heart disease death (bottom panel) [Assuming a log-linear relationship the age- and sex-adjusted hazard ratio (95% CI) for non-fatal myocardial infarction or coronary heart disease death per 1-SD higher values were: 1.38 (1.21, 1.57) for IL-6, 1.27 (1.09, 1.47) for IL-18, 1.27 (1.12, 1.45) for MMP-9, 1.03 (0.88, 1.19) for sCD40L and 1.17 (1.03, 1.33) for TNF-α.] by fifths of inflammatory cytokine levels adjusted for age and sex and stratified by cohort.